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
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.