Community still searching for answers after fatal house explosion shakes quiet neighbourhood

Emergency crews tend to the scene of a reported house explosion in Barrie, Ont., on Sat., Aug. 9, 2025.

Monday marks nearly two weeks since a fatal house explosion shook a neighbourhood in Barrie’s south end; the community is still searching for answers.

The explosion reduced the family residence to rubble and caused damage to surrounding homes and vehicles.

The Office of the Fire Marshal, who is being assisted by detectives from the Barrie Police Criminal Investigation Division, confirmed to CTV News on Monday morning that an investigation of this nature is going to take time to determine.

• Barrie, Ont. house explosion in quiet neighbourhood turns fatal

Jim Demetriou, with the Office of the Fire Marshal, says, “At this stage, there are no new updates to share, as the matter remains under active investigation.”

The deafening bang could be heard and felt by the community close to Thorncrest Road. Residents reported flames nearing 25 feet in the air at the time of the incident.

“It was quite a scene; there was a lot of debris everywhere... even across the street,” Barrie’s deputy fire chief, Eric MacFadden, told CTV News last weekend.

Police confirmed a 45-year-old man was found in “what was left of the home” at 65 Marshall Street and taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Last week, police confirmed the man had succumbed to his injuries. Exactly what caused the explosion remains a blur.

CTV News will continue to provide the latest updates on the investigation as they become available.