The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office was back on the scene today investigating a deadly house fire in Collingwood.
It happened Saturday night on Fifth Street. Fire fighters found the man in a bedroom and pulled him out of the house through a back window. Crews went back in the house several times searching for a second person they were told was inside. It turned the man was home alone. The man wasn’t responsive and was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries.
“There were two separate fires, the vehicle was one fire and the structure was a second fire,” Collingwood Fire chief Trent Elyea. He says this fire is suspicious.
“There's no chance that they were connected know we've already confirmed or two separate fires.”
Witnesses say it all happened so fast. One minute a car was on fire and the next they saw flames shooting from the roof and the house was filled with smoke
Before fire crews arrived neigbours rushed over to help, but the fire chief says they may have caused more harm than good. Elyea says at least two windows were broken by people trying to rescue the man.
“That's probably one of the worst things you can do because what it does is it allows fresh air in and it gives a fire in the building ability to move so it changes the dynamics of the inside drastically.”
An autopsy was preformed today but results are being released by the OFM or the OPP.
The OPP won’t confirm the identity of the man who died inside the home, but neighbours say his name was Kevin Moreau. They say he lived in the home with his wife, who wasn't home at the time of the fire.
“They were one of the best neighbors you would want to meet very friendly would do anything for you,” said neighbour Maxine Loughead.
Elyea says this the second time the fire department has responded to this house for a fire. A fire broke out in the summer but was accidental and not considered suspicious.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office is continuing the investigation and focusing on the car that caught fire.
