One of two victims in an early morning house fire at 4 Hart Road has been tentatively identified as 64-year-old Ronald Dumas.
His sister Joanna Moggy confirmed today that it was her brother who died in the blaze.
The other victim, also not confirmed by the Elliot Lake Fire Department, was a female tenant renting a basement apartment in the home Dumas has owned for about six years.
In a press release from the fire department Saturday morning, chief John Thomas said firefighters were called to the scene at around 5:14 a.m. Saturday.
"The residence was fully involved when the fire department crew arrived on scene,” the release stated. “Due to extreme fire conditions, crews were unable to gain entry.”
Moggy said she was alerted to the fire by a friend and quickly drove to the home to find it engulfed in flames.
“The house was in flames,” a distraught Moggy told Elliot Lake Today in a telephone call. “We arrived at the scene and my brother’s car was there.”
She said the tenant was being helped by Dumas and living in the basement because “she was struggling financially.”
Moggy said her brother’s body was removed from the remains of the home this morning and taken to Sudbury for a post-mortem and official identification.
The Ontario Fire Marshall’s office has been on scene assisting in the investigation.
The local fire department has yet to release the names and is expected to issue an update Monday.
Update:
ElliotLakeToday has received the following news release from Elliot Lake Fire Department.
Fire Chief John Thomas announced today that on Sunday, March 8, 2020, the Elliot Lake Fire Department and Ontario Fire Marshall’s office have recovered the remains of two adults from 4 Hart Road.
The identity of the victims have not yet been confirmed and both have been taken to Sudbury for post mortems.
The fire originated in the basement northeast corner of the residence.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Ontario Provincial Police are protecting the fire scene.
