A dog is dead and eight residents displaced after a weekend townhouse fire in northeast London.
The blaze broke out in the basement at 191 Boullee Street around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Fire crews arrived to find thick smoking coming from the front of the townhouse. While most residents were able to escape on their own, one woman and a dog had to be rescued by firefighters from the second floor.
Paramedics treated two people on scene for smoke inhalation. They did not require hospitalization. Efforts to save a dog were unsuccessful, fire officials said.
The fire displaced eight residents and eight other dogs. The Red Cross is helping those individuals to find alternate accommodations .
Damage from the fire is estimated at $200,000. The cause is not believed to be suspicious.
Fire officials have said it is lucky the fire didn't end more tragically, as there were no working smoke alarms in the townhouse. Charges as a result are pending.
It is the law in Ontario to have working smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside of all sleeping areas. Landlords have to test alarms annually and after every change in tenancy. Tenants are required to notify their landlord of any non-working smoke alarms in their residence. Fines for tampering with or removing smoke alarm batteries can range from $360 to $50,000 for an individual and up to $100,000 for a corporation.
