UPDATE: Fire Marshal's Office called in after Vaughan blaze

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 24, 2017
By Heidi Riedner

The cause and origin of a fire that completely gutted a Heintzman Crescent home in the Dufferin Street and Major Mackenzie area of Vaughan Sept. 23 remains under investigation by both the Vaughan fire department and the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office.

Four engines, one ladder, one rescue truck, one air light, and two Chief Officers responded to the incident after numerous 911 calls were made to Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service's (VFRS) communications centre yesterday, VFRS Deputy Fire Chief Deryn Rizzi said.

Heavy flames throughout the house and shooting through the roof of the structure prevented firefighters from an interior attack, Rizzi said, adding crews extinguished the blaze with an exterior defensive attack and protected the exposures of neighbouring homes.

Firefighters battled not only the fire, but also scorching temperatures with yesterday's heat wave.

Fire crews were rotated more quickly through work-rehab rotations under operating guidelines and used cooling chairs during the rehab phase, Rizzi explained.

A cooling chair provides an effective means of lowering body temperature through hand and forearm immersion. Combined with resting and hydration, hand and forearm immersion is an effective way for firefighters and responders to lower the impact of stress on their health and safety.

York Region EMS was also on scene with its bus to offer an air conditioned unit, where medical monitoring was set up for firefighters.

Paramedics check blood pressure, O2 stats, and heart rate prior to firefighters being cycled back into a work rotation, Rizzi said, adding the many neighbours gathered on the street were incredibly helpful during the event and provided water to the firefighters.

Ontario Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM) was contacted yesterday to report a "large loss fire" - one in which the loss is over $500,000 - and was on scene today with an investigator with VFRS for day two of the fire investigation.