Two people who lost their lives in fatal fires in February and March have now been identified, though police say neither fire is considered to be suspicious.
Back on Feb. 4, at around 8:30 p.m., Manitoulin OPP officers were asked to do a well-being check on a man living at a remote residence in the Township of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands. However, due to inclement weather and the remote location, police say they were unable to get to the residence.
The next day, Feb. 5, Manitoulin OPP, with the assistance of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and the OPP North East Region Emergency Response Team, located a burned structure under snow. It took another day before suspected human remains were found in the burned-out structure.
The identity of the deceased has now been confirmed by the Coroner's Office, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OCC-OFPS) and the Centre of Forensic Science (CFS). The deceased is Jason Mabbott, a 47-year-old man from the Township of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands.
The fire is not considered suspicious.
One month later, on March 3 at around 3:52 a.m. near Espanola, officers from the Manitoulin OPP Detachment, the Sables-Spanish Rivers Fire Department and the Manitoulin-Sudbury Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded to a residential fire on Cutler Lake Road in the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers.
Suspected human remains were found in the building.
The Coroner's Office and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OCC-OFPS) have now confirmed the identity of the deceased as Sandy Nott, a 36-year-old man from the Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers Township.
As with the earlier fire, the fire is not considered suspicious.
