Brampton boy dies in townhouse fire

A devastating early morning fire in a Brampton townhouse complex has left one young child dead and hundreds of residents displaced.

Ardglen Drive in Brampton has been cordoned off by police since early this morning. The streets are full of first responders and community members who have been evacuated. The mood was extremely sombre with the loss of this young child, and unfortunately it’s not the first time the street has been faced with a tragedy.

Bystanders react to a massive fire that tore through a Brampton townhouse complex in the early hours of the morning leaving 18 units severely damaged, displacing hundreds of residents, and killing a young child.

“The fatality from this fire was a 10 year old boy who was having a sleepover at a friend’s house and unfortunately he succumbed to the fire,” said Cst. Lilly Fitzpatrick of Peel Regional Police.

Family members are gathered at the Red Cross station thanking first responders and the community, but are saying little else.

“The family at this time would like to ask for respect for our privacy. Thank you and that’s it,” said a woman speaking for the family.

Emergency responders arrived on scene shortly after 3:00 a.m. The fire had started in the kitchen area of one townhouse, but quickly spread to others. Up to 100 people are now homeless and with nearby units suffering water damage, almost 300 had to be evacuated. Hours later, firefighters continue to put out hot spots.

“The fire throughout the main unit wasn’t that unusual to us, they’re very small, compact, lot of combustibles like most homes, that we can get control of, the challenge is when it gets into the roofline,” said Deputy Fire Chief Michael Clark of Brampton Fire & Emergency Services.

This is not the first time tragedy has struck on Ardglen Drive. A year and a half ago, a nine year old Kesean Williams was killed after being shot in the head while playing video games in a townhouse that is part of the same complex where the fire erupted. It’s another blow to the community which is now reeling.

“I find out this morning that he’s gone and I have to explain again to him that another friend, another friend from our neighbourhood is gone. It’s just unexplainable and I feel so bad,” said Jen Polly, a neighbour.

Evidence of just how close-knit this community is shown in its response. Within hours, it had rallied together to drop off food, clothes and donations to those impacted by the fire.

Peel Social Services and the Red Cross are on hand to help out. Evacuated residents from the nearby units are being brought in to collect valuables and medication, but it’s unclear when they’ll be able to return.

Anyone wishing to donate to help the residents can click here.