Fatal house fire in London
Friends and family have identified the victim of a fatal fire on Sunday evening as 83-year-old Merle Ellis.
Emergency responders were called to 283 Tremont Rd. near Clarke Road and Trafalgar Street around 8:10 p.m.
Fire crews were alerted that someone may be inside the building and Ellis was pulled from the home shortly after.
Crews immediately focused on trying to resuscitate Ellis but were unsuccessful.
Neighbour Shirley Antonioli lived across the street from Ellis for more than 40 years, with the two families having moved into their homes within a year of each other.
"She was a beautiful lady, great neighbour and very kind," said Antonioli.
She cared for Ellis' cat after it was rescued by fire crews.
London fire crews attended a blaze at 238 Tremont Rd. on Jan. 29 for working fire. (Source: London fire)
Ellis' son Todd arrived on the scene around 10 a.m. to retrieve the cat and to try to get what information was available from officials.
He told CTV News London his mother's health had been failing, including losing her eyesight.
He said she was scheduled to move into a long-term care facility on Wednesday.
Antonioli said prior to Sunday's tragedy, Ellis had numerous people drop by every day to check on her.
"She had her children and her grandchildren. She had friends of hers and I think a sister came to see her all the time as well," Antonioli told CTV News.
Numerous people visited the house on Monday morning, including one of her grandchildren.
A personal service worker arrived not knowing that Ellis passed away.
An Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office (OFM) investigator arrived at the scene around 11 a.m. and is being assisted by members of the London Fire Investigation Unit and London police as they work to determine a cause for the blaze.
"Our mandate is to be dispatched to all fatal fires and all serious injury fires,” said OFM investigator Jessica Reynolds. Reynolds said the investigation is in the early stages but, based on a preliminary assessment, the fire doesn't appear to be criminal in nature.
A fatal house fire on Tremont Road in London is being investigated. Jan. 30, 2023. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)
"At this time, no. But, then again, I'm going to be basing all of my conclusions on evidence and not conjecture,” she said.
She also can’t say at this time if smoke alarms in the house went off, and told CTV News London, “As of right now we have found a couple of smoke alarms in the house. Whether or not they’ve activated is still under investigation right now.”
Reynolds said the on-site investigation may extend into Tuesday. A probable cause may be available at that point, or it may require more time.
London fire officials said this was the first fatal fire in the city since 2021. The fire in 2021 was the only one of that year.
A post-mortem is being conducted under the direction of the Office of the Chief Coroner.
Antoniolo expressed gratitude to first responders who worked to resuscitate Ellis at the scene.
"When the funeral home came to pick her up there were firemen standing there at attention. It was just heartbreaking," she said.
A cause of the fire and an exact cause of death has yet to be determined.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.