Two people are dead following a house fire in Sturgeon Falls on Wednesday November 2nd. Though the fire had been put out by the next day, the house at 888 Quesnel Road was swarming with provincial investigators from the OPP and the Office of the Fire Marshal. In a media release from the OPP, they confirmed that two people were located deceased inside the home, but that the police believe there is no threat to public safety.
Police have not released the identity of the victims or indicated if the fire was an act of foul play, but the investigation is ongoing. Neighbours have said the residents were an elderly couple, but authorities would not confirm if they were the victims.
West Nipissing Fire Chief Frank Loeffen was on-site on November 3rd. Though he could not provide many details, he did confirm that the call for dispatch happened at 8:42 am the previous morning. Once the fire had been put out by his crew, and the first victim was found, the OPP immediately took over the scene to begin their investigation.
“Everything has been turned over to the province,” said Loeffen, adding that there will be no local investigation into the fire as Provincial Fire Investigations were on site. The cause of the fire and estimated damages will not be provided until the provincial authorities complete the investigation. “It could be anywhere between 6 months to a year before we get results back, based on past experience,” explained Loeffen.
While the chief was answering questions, OPP canine units could be seen combing the property, forensics teams were going in and out of the house, and officers walked the perimeter of the area to find any clues about what happened. OPP also put out a call to contact the West Nipissing OPP or Crime Stoppers if anyone should have information that could assist their investigation.
