Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating a fatal blaze in Fort William First Nation, which marks the fourth trailer fire in the Thunder Bay district within a week.
Crews with Thunder Bay Fire Rescue responded to the incident on Squaw Bay Road shortly after 3 a.m. on Saturday.
The trailer, which was isolated from nearby homes, was found fully engulfed in flames. A total of four pumper crews and the platoon chief responded.
Though the fire was quickly brought under control by the first arriving crew, two people were found dead inside the trailer, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue said in a news release issued Saturday.
The Anishinabek Police Service responded to the incident. CBC News observed members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Office of the Fire Marshal at the scene on Sunday.
While the fire department did not say what caused the blaze, its news release said “Thunder Bay Fire Rescue would like to remind the public that working smoke detectors are required by law and extra caution must be taken when using candles.”
The Anishinabek Police Service asks anyone with information about the incident to call 1-888-310-1122.
“Our thoughts are with the entire community at this difficult time. Please visit the supports page on our website for a list of crisis services and resources,” it said in a news release issued Saturday.
Indigenous people are over five times more likely to die in a fire than their non-Indigenous counterparts, according to the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council.
“That number increases to over 10 times for First Nations people living on reserves,” the council says on its website.
The other trailer fires reported in the district over the past week include:
