Search continues for man after fire in Caledon

CTV Barrie: Search continues for man The search continues for a man who remains unaccounted for after a fire in Caledon. Mike Walker explains.

The search continues for a man in Caledon, who remains unaccounted for after a fire destroyed a home on Sunday morning.

Investigators with the Caledon fire department and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office were back at the scene on Monday. Crews continued to put out hot spots, while waiting for heavy equipment.

Crews were called to the home in the area of Mayfield Road and Gore Road, at around 6 a.m. on Sunday. When they arrived, the home was engulfed in flames.

Three people were home at the time, but only two were located outside of the house.

"Upon arrival, we were advised by one of the occupants that she was not sure where her husband was,” Caledon deputy fire chief, Darryl Bailey says. “We're going under that assumption, yes at this time that this person is still inside the residence."

Sandy Soares lives next door and heard screaming. That’s when she went outside to find her neighbour's home on fire.

"The son from next door was calling out for his dad to come out. From what I understood, the son said his dad had come out and had gone back in."

At this point investigators are treating this as a fatal fire.

"The survivability of a fire of this magnitude wouldn't have a good outcome" Caledon’s deputy fire chief, Darryl Bailey.

Investigators with the OFM haven't been able to search the charred debris for the man because the house is just too dangerous to enter and could collapse.

“It’s compromised the first, second floor and the roof; so there's not much structurally holding this up right now other than the brick," says investigator Mike Ross.

Heavy equipment is now being brought so engineers can structurally secure the home so the search can happen.

"A significant part of the house will have to be removed, even to facilitate getting in there."

It’s a painstaking process that is leaving family and neighbours waiting for crews to find the man and determine the cause.