Woman injured in Adelaide Street North fire succumbs to injuries
A woman who sustained critical injuries earlier this month during an east London, Ont. apartment fire has died from her injuries, London police said on Wednesday.
According to the London Police Service, on March 24 at approximately 1:20 a.m., London police and the London Fire Department responded to 571 Adelaide Street N., just south of Central Avenue, for a report of a fire.
A woman, believed to be the lone occupant of the unit, was removed from the three-storey unit walk-up by fire crews.
"Crews were able to get in, do a search, and rescue one individual,” Platoon Chief Colin Shewell told CTV News London’s Gerry Dewan at the time. “They were able to hand them over to Middlesex-London Paramedic Services for care and transport to [Victoria] hospital."
On Wednesday, London police issued an update that the woman had succumbed to her injuries in hospital.
Charred debris can be see outside the door of an upper-level apartment unit at 571 Adelaide St. N. in London, Ont., on March 24, 2023. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)Police said there is no evidence of foul play.
Apartment tenants who knew the woman spoke to CTV News London after the fire, and said they were familiar with the woman, and admitted she sometimes had erratic behaviour.
"She, sort of, knocks on everyone’s doors, especially newcomers who move in. Just strange acts, you know, and requests and things like that," said Leita Saysombath.
Saysombath said some people have complained, but most were understanding, "I know there were a few outcries here and there. You know how everything is; it's always that [Genovese] effect, the bystander effect, but everyone tries their best to help."
Another neighbour said the woman would sometimes let her cat roam the halls. The man, who did not want to be identified, said he retrieved a cat from the smoke-filled hallway and handed it over to fire crews as he fled the building.
Broken windows are visible in an upper-unit of an apartment complex at 571 Adelaide St. N. in London, Ont. A fire that occurred on March 24, 2023, in the unit sent one woman to hospital with critical injuries. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)London fire crews said one cat did perish in the blaze.
Shewell said crews were able to get the fire out within half-an-hour of arriving, but admits apartment unit fires can be challenging.
"There's a very heavy fire-load in these type of apartments, and small areas for our crews to work in. Generally there is a lot of stuff, combustible stuff, and that makes it very difficult to fight," said Shewell.
Police said the identity of the woman will not be released.
— With files from CTV News London’s Gerry Dewan
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.