Police investigating Mansfield fire that left family of eight homeless

Police investigating Mansfield fire that left family of eight homeless

Police are investigating a fire that claimed a home at 154 rue Graveline in Mansfield early this morning (January 23), leaving a family of eight homeless. No injuries were reported but the home was a total loss.

Mansfield-et-Pontefract Fire Chief Patrick Bertrand said that they received the call at around 3 a.m. and when they arrived the home was fully involved. He said that they responded with 26 firefighters in four trucks, and were on scene for six and a half hours.

Bertrand said that the investigation into the cause has been handed over to police. Fire chiefs typically investigate fires except in cases where the cause of the blaze is deemed suspicious, in which case the SQ take over. Bertrand said that they had been called to the home less than 24 hours earlier and the family had been evacuated before fire crews were called back hours later.

Lina Lajoie, a family member of the victims, said that the fire department was called at around 4 p.m. the previous day, as they had seen smoke emanating from the electrical panel and the wall near it. The family was evacuated and the home was checked by the fire department.

The house was occupied by her parents, two brothers, one of their fiancées and her sister, as well as her two nieces aged 1 and 3. Her parents had been renting the home for several years. She said that their cats were in the home at the time and feared they were lost in the fire.

She said that the family was in need of clothing and other basics as well as housing. Those looking to help can contact her at 613-401-6793.