Pregnant pitbull saved, three cats die in Vaughan house fire
Damage estimated at $100,000, fire chief says

YorkRegion.com
June 6, 2018
Lisa Queen

Vaughan firefighters revived a pregnant pitbull but weren’t able to save three cats caught in a basement fire at a Vaughan home the night of June 5, Chief Deryn Rizzi said.

“We received multiple 911 calls for this fire” at 7810 Kipling Ave. north of Hwy. 7 in Woodbridge at about 8:50 p.m., she said.

When firefighters arrived, they found flames coming from the basement windows and thick smoke pouring from the two-storey brick house, Rizzi said.

“We went into the basement and did a primary search of the structure. The firefighters brought out a dog that was unconscious and three deceased cats,” she said, adding no people were injured.

Emergency crews used an animal ventilation mask to save the pitbull.

“We were able to revive the dog. The dog was taken to a veterinarian clinic,” Rizzi said.

Twenty-eight firefighters responded to the blaze, Rizzi said.

“We fought an aggressive fire attack, interior fire attack,” she said.

Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the main and second floors of the home, Rizzi said.

The fire appears to have started in a bedroom area of the basement but the fire department is still investigating the cause, Rizzi said.

Damage is estimated at $100,000.

“The occupants of the home will be temporarily displaced. They will need to do work on the home for sure before they can get access back into it,” Rizzi said.

“It was a significant fire but it was not what we call a fully involved fire. A fully involved fire is when it involves all three floors.”

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office has been notified.