Massive fire at Vaughan construction site destroys at least 20 new homes
Sumit Dhadwal, his wife and their two daughters were set to move into a brand new home in November. Now their new build is a charred mess.
His prospective home and at least 20 others burned to the ground after a massive fire at a Vaughan construction site tore through the properties Wednesday afternoon.
By 3 p.m., the bulk of the fire had been knocked down, but not before the homes were reduced to ash.
"We had booked a home here right on the corner ... Obviously, we'll have to wait," he said. "Thankfully we didn't sell our existing home."
Dhadwal and his family live about five kilometres away from where the flames broke out, and learned of the fire on the news.
Sumit Dhadwal told CBC Toronto his family was set to move into one of the homes that burned down in Vaughan Wednesday, after a fire ripped through a construction site. (CBC)
Flames broke out around 1 p.m. at the subdivision under construction in the area of Teston Road and Pine Valley Drive, said Grant Moffatt, Vaughan's deputy fire chief.
The fire began at one home near Heathcote Road and Kinburn Crescent, Moffatt said. As a result, at least 20 homes collapsed and 10 to 15 others sustained heat damage, he said.
Firefighters battle a large blaze in a new housing development near Pine Heights and Teston Road in Vaughan on Wednesday. (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)
Difficult conditions for fire crews
Moffatt said firefighters were met with a "heavy volume of fire" driven by windy conditions, which caused "significant problems for crews."
"This is a big event just because of the location, the density of the homes and the wind," he said.
Some 52 firefighters, four chief officers, several police officers and multiple EMS units were on scene a massive blaze in Vaughan that took down at least 20 homes. (Spencer Gallichan-Lowe/CBC)
Those conditions were made worse, Moffatt said, by the fact that the homes were only partially constructed, meaning they had no fire protection.
Crews evacuated the entire subdivision at Teston Road and Arbordale Drive. The city said 52 firefighters, four chief officers, several police officers and multiple EMS units were on scene.
Nadia Migliano, whose home was one of those evacuated, told CBC Toronto the strong winds were causing the flames to spread.
"It was pretty crazy...I was home today. Not a good day to take off work, that's for sure," she said.
'Nobody planned for this'
Police say no occupants were inside the structures when the fire began and no injuries have been reported. Two firefighters were sent to hospital as a precaution, Moffatt said.
Crews will likely be working through the night to put out small "spot" fires in the area, he added.
Dhadwal told CBC News he went to see the site after work.
"We're OK, but obviously the kids were looking forward to moving in and getting to know the place. But we'll just have to adapt and change," he said.
Dhadwal said he's sure the builder has an insurance policy and believes his initial down payment should be protected.
"Nobody planned for this, so we'll just wait for the process to kick in," he said.
The cause of the blaze is currently under investigation.
The city is asking residents to avoid the area.
This article was originally published for CBC News. With files from The Canadian Press.
