By Tara Bowie Sentinel-Review
Updated 1 hour ago
WOODSTOCK – It may be several hours – or even days – before all the debris of the Victoria Street South apartment building has been searched for the two people still missing after Sunday’s apartment fire.
Const. Steve McEwen of the Woodstock Police Service confirmed that two people were still listed as missing following the early morning explosion and fire that gutted the 45-unit building.
During a Monday afternoon press conference near the site of the fire, workers were on the scene using heavy equipment to systematically search the debris.
“This is a slow process as they go through the material,” McEwen said.
When pressed about the status of the missing people, McEwen said, “There’s been no confirmation of death. Until we identify some remains, we have no confirmation.”
Earlier in the day, Woodstock police Chief Rodney Freeman had warned reporters of the potential for unfortunate news.
“Two are still unaccounted for. Twenty-four hours has passed. We must prepare ourselves for what might be a tragic day,” Freeman said.
But Woodstock police were able to find five of the seven people who had been reported missing after the evacuation of the building. The five people listed as missing were located through resources, including the Criminal Investigation Unit and the Red Cross Family Reunification Program. Freeman would not comment on these resident people out of respect for their families.
He did say the two missing residents lived in separate apartments.
Freeman said the cause of the fire was still unknown at this time but did make it clear that police had no indication the fire was caused by criminal activity.
“I can’t stress this enough. We have no indications that the cause of the fire was a result of criminal activity,” he said.
Freeman described the scene on Sunday morning as chaotic.
He said when officers first arrived on scene residents in pajamas and slippers were trying to get back into the building.
“These people were in complete shock,” he said.
Residents in neighbouring houses helped out right away supplying ladders and taking displaced residents into their homes.
Larry Cocco, an investigator for the Ontario Fire Marshal, said searching the debris would be lengthy and timelines were impossible to determine.
“The preliminary debris will be removed by quadrants,” he said.
The six investigators on scene from the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office are working to determine the fuel source for the fire.
Cocco confirmed natural gas was used to operate appliances within the building but wouldn’t elaborate on which ones used gas during the press conference.
Residents living in homes on the east side of Victoria Street South were expected to be allowed to return home Monday night. The street was evacuated Sunday as a precaution.
Woodstock Mayor Pat Sobeski terminated the emergency designation Woodstock had been under for 28 hours.
He commended emergency workers who were first on scene and the firefighters who battled the blaze, as well as those who continue to work at the gutted remains of the Victoria Street South building.
“There are a number of people we will recognize within in the first 30 minutes, but that will come later,” he said.
Sobeski said his thoughts are with the families of those still missing and the victims of the fire.
“I like everyone continue to think of everyone involved in the tragedy,” he said.
Seven people were injured in the fire. Freeman said six were treated and released suffering minor injures. The seventh person was kept overnight for observation and released.
Firefighter Don Brooks suffered broken a leg during the initial response of the explosion and fire. Brooks was treated and released from hospital.
Oxford Community Services is continuing to work on shelter and benefits for the victims of the fire. A victim resource program has been opened and will take place daily at the Oxford County administration building.
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