A June 5 fire in Sturgeon Falls claimed the life of a 33-year-old Lavigne woman.
A approximately 4 a.m. that morning, Nipissing West OPP responded to a call from the West Nipissing Fire Service to assist in reaching out to Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral Services (VCARS) for tenants who had just been displaced by a fire at a four-plex on Fourth Street in the Sturgeon Falls.
The fire had taken place in the early morning hours and police were not contacted until later, OPP said. The tenants of the building were all taken to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation, although one tenant could not be accounted for, necessitating a search of the building.
At around 7 p.m. that evening, OPP said police and firefighters located a body in the building.
OPP Forensic Investigation Services is investigation along with the Fire Marshal’s office, the Sudbury OPP Crime Unit and the Forensic Pathology Service of the chief coroner’s office.
The deceased has been identified as Melissa Larocque, 33, from Lavigne.
The investigation is ongoing.
