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Devastating fire rips through multi-unit building killing two people

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A deadly fire that tore through a multi-unit building in Caledon on Friday morning haunts resident Daniel Aguirre.

"She was yelling and screaming the house is on fire," he recalled of his friend after the blaze broke out around 6:30 a.m. on Mountainview Road near Highway 9.

Aguirre's home filled with smoke as the flames engulfed the building.

"Really horrible experience," he said. "And at one point, we see the flames inside the kitchen."

A fire official said it was one of the most devastating calls they have had to respond to so far this year, needing 16 apparatus and roughly 80 firefighters to battle.

Rebecca Knapp said she could only watch as her neighbour's home crumbled.

"Knowing that the head count wasn't proper and knowing who was in there was terrible," she said.

The Ontario Fire Marshal confirmed the blaze claimed the lives of two people. Their identities haven't been released.

Aguirre is now staying with his daughter in Bolton while he tries to find a permanent home.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family recoup after losing everything.

The experience, he said, will remain seared in his mind.

"I tried to see if I could go and help the neighbour, but it wasn't possible," he said. "The fact that I could help my neighbour is haunting me in my head every minute."

Officials said the cause of the fatal fire remains unknown but added it isn't considered suspicious.

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