Man, 91, and woman, 46, dead after house fire in Boisbriand
A second deadly fire within 12 hours in Quebec has claimed the life of two more people.
Police in Therese-de Blainville (RIPTB) are investigating the cause of a fatal residential fire in Boisbriand, just north of Montreal.
The RIPTB reported that an 8:30 a.m. 911 call on Friday reported heavy smoke coming from a house on Beth-Halevy Street.
"The fire was quickly brought under control by the fire service and may have been accidental in origin," said RIPTB inspector Karine Desaulniers.
Firefighters on the scene were told that two people, a 91-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman, were inside.
Both were taken to a hospital, and were pronounced dead.
"Our investigators and fire scene technician will try to determine this in the next few hours," said Desaulniers.
COMMUNITY DEVASTATED
The victims were members of the Hasidic Jewish community in Boisbriand, according to Issac Weiss, who works with Shomrim, a public security service in the community.
Weiss said when the fire broke out, a neighbour tried to wake the couple to no avail. The fire department arrived within minutes, he said, and broke down the door.
Four families, about 20 people in total, live in the home and were there when the fire broke out, according to Weiss. Shomrim helped evacuate the home and get the evacuees access to food and shelter. They are now staying with family.
Everyone in the community – including police and doctors – are working as fast as they can so they are able to bury the victims before 4 p.m., he said, as they must bury them the same day and before Shabbat, according to their religious beliefs.
"The community is devastated," said Weiss. "This is the first time this has happened in our community, in 60 years of existence that someone has died due to a house fire. Everybody is in shock but we are all coming together to support the families."
ANOTHER FATAL FIRE
It is the second deadly fire where two people died in Quebec on Friday.
Firefighters found the lifeless bodies of two people after a house fire in Rawdon, Que. in the early morning hours. The investigation into the causes of that fire is ongoing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Man involved in Dartmouth, N.S., emergency alert earlier this week turns himself in
A 49-year-old man has been charged in connection with an alleged assault that happened earlier this week in Dartmouth, N.S.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Imagine living in a 4-foot body that doesn't develop chronic diseases
Nathaly Paola Castro Torres has a rare disorder called Laron syndrome that is caused by a genetic mutation. It stunts her growth but also provides a hidden silver lining: Her body is protected from chronic diseases such as cancer that often take life away long before old age.
'Oh, there you go': Tyler Black, son of veteran broadcaster Rod Black, has memorable Major League Baseball debut
Canadian baseball player Tyler Black made a major splash in his first-ever big league game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Groundbreaking American guitarist Duane Eddy dies age 86
Guitarist Duane Eddy, best known for twangy riffs on hits such as 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Cannonball,' has died at the age of 86.
Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.