Two firefighters treated for minor burns, dozens of homes destroyed
A massive fire at a construction site in Vaughan, Ontario north of Toronto destroyed at least 20 new homes on Wednesday.
The flames were ignited around 1 p.m. at one home in the subdivision under construction in the area of Tetson Road and Pine Valley Drive, according to Vaughan’s deputy fire chief, Grant Moffatt.
The fire spread to 20 homes that collapsed and were reduced to ash. Another 10 to 15 homes sustained heat damage, says Moffatt.
More than 50 firefighters spent nearly 3 hours trying to get the massive blaze under control. During a press conference Moffatt said the dry and windy conditions made it very difficult.
“Without wind, you may get the opportunity to control it to three or four homes. But for homes under construction, the spread is very rapid.” In a CTV News report, Moffatt says firefighters were able to put a "line in the sand" to prevent the fire from spreading.
Vaughan Fire - New Houses Under Construction Catch Fire pic.twitter.com/dX8grab5uX
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Nobody was inside any of the structures at the time. Two firefighters suffered minor burns and one was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Klein Estates is the developer for the project. Its website indicates the properties were selling for more than $2 million. Residents were slated to begin moving in late 2023.
Sumit Dhadwal was planning to move into one of the homes with his wife and their two daughters. "We had booked a home here right on the corner ... Obviously, we'll have to wait," he tells CBC News. "Thankfully we didn't sell our existing home.
The Ontario Fire Marshall has been called in to investigate the cause.
Construction sites have many hazards to navigate, including those caused by weather, and because these homes were still under construction, none of them had any fire protection.
