A lone Christmas decoration still hangs in the entrance of the Kirkland home where an octogenarian died Wednesday after an early-morning fire.
Firefighters rushed to 33 Marcel Meloche St. around 4 a.m. and upon entering the house they found the man, unconscious and in cardiac arrest, lying in a bedroom.
They brought him outside and tried in vain to resuscitate him. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A family friend confirmed to CTV news the victim is Ivelaw Corbin.
He and his wife -- both in their 80s -- used to be actively involved with the West Island Black Community Association.
He had been living alone in the house ever since his wife was moved into a nursing home.
“It’s very said,” said Kim Vachon, who lives a short distance away.
“He was an elderly man and he was the first owner of the house and his kids grew up on this street.”
His children came to the scene Wednesday afternoon and were escorted by police officers through the fire-ravaged home.
Neighbour Pierre Cauchy said he heard the fire trucks arriving on the scene early Wednesday.
“(It’s) quite shocking of course. We knew the gentleman who lived there. A very nice fellow. Very friendly,” he said.
Investigators do not believe the fire was deliberately set, but the arson squad has taken over the investigation, which is standard procedure whenever someone dies as the result of a fire.
So far, they have determined the fire started in the bedroom, but it is still unclear how the fire started.
