Police are investigating a possible connection between a missing persons report from Mississauga and three bodies found in a burned out vehicle north of Barrie on Friday.

Firefighters responded to a call from a passing driver at about 5:40 a.m. on Friday morning. They found three bodies in a charred car, burned beyond recognition, on Holick Road just north of 4th Line in Oro-Medonte Township.

The Ontario Provincial Police, who have taken over the investigation, said they don't know how the fire started, and the ages and genders of the victims were impossible to identify.

"In the vehicle were what we suspect are the remains of three humans," an OPP officer told media at the scene, without giving any more details on the bodies.

The bodies were taken to the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto for post-mortems.

OPP Const. Graeme Knox told CTV Toronto that they're waiting for autopsy results before they release any more information. He said the make and model of the burned vehicle are currently unknown.

Possible connection to missing family?

Peel Regional Police Const. Tom Ruttan told CTV Toronto that they're looking into whether there is a connection between the incident and a missing persons report filed in Mississauga on Friday morning.

Samuel Masih, 36, and his two young sons were reported missing Friday at about 1:30 a.m. by Masih's wife when the trio failed to return home.

Masih's wife told police that her husband and sons, aged 10 and 4, left their Mississauga home to go to an afternoon movie on Thursday and never returned.

Despite the report, no news release was ever issued, and police did not appeal to the public for clues.

Neighbours of the missing man and children told CTV Toronto's Tamara Cherry they saw Peel police outside of the family's home on Thursday. Police have not said why they were at the home the day before the man and children were reported missing.

OPP were seen at the house on Friday, appearing as though they were "guarding the home," or waiting for someone, neighbours said.

OPP officers are leading the Barrie-area investigation, but Peel police are standing by until the autopsy results are released.

The OPP said it would not comment on a possible connection to the Mississauga case, nor would they say whether the vehicle found in Oro-Medonte matched the description of the family's car.

With files from CTV Barrie and CTV Toronto's Tamara Cherry