No injuries after large fire destroys house in Thornhill

TORONTO -

No injuries have been reported after a fire broke out at a home in Thornhill Sunday morning, destroying the house.

Crews were called to Ladyslipper Court, in the area of Bayview Avenue and Laureleaf Road, at around 6:30 a.m.

They arrived to find heavy smoke and large flames engulfing the detached home.

“Because of the humidity today and the weather, the smoke was hanging very low to the ground which made visibility of the actual building impossible,” Markham Fire Deputy Chief Matt Keay told CP24 at the scene. “I can tell you when I got here I couldn't even see the house.”

Keay said nine vehicles attended the scene and firefighters attacked the flames from the exterior using elevated devices and deck guns.

At around 8 a.m. firefighters said the blaze had been brought under control.

Markham Fire described the damage as “extensive” and said the home is likely a total loss.

“Unfortunately structural damage to the building is extensive and we feel that the building is a total loss at this time but fortunately no injuries, firefighter or civilian, so good news,” Keay said.

Nobody was home at the time of the fire, the homeowners told firefighters.

It is not yet clear how the fire started.

Crews are expected to remain at the scene for some time to make sure that it is completely extinguished.

“When we have a defensive fire such as this, obviously we put a lot of water on from the exterior. At some point typically things either get better or the structure collapses, usually the roof will come down,” Keay said. “At that point we can have hidden undetected fires underneath the roofing material, so our crews will be here for a considerable amount of time, ensuring complete extinguishment of the fire.”

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office is expected to attend the scene as well.

Keay said there is no indication so far that there was any criminal activity involved.

“So it's a very challenging ordeal at this point when we have damage that extensive,” Keay said of the investigation into the cause of the fire. “However our investigators are trained, and we'll be working in concert with the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal investigators. They'll be beginning their investigation shortly and they'll be trying to determine using the tools and training they've been provided, but it will be a challenging one for sure when the damage is this extensive.”

A neighbor told CP24 the family who live in the home had only moved in there a few weeks ago.