‘Fully engulfed’ house fire in Burlington causes $500K in damages

A late-night inferno scrambled 25 firefighters to the scene of a “fast-moving” fire of concern at a residential property that was under construction in Burlington.

The call came in shortly before midnight Monday.

Flames could been seen for kilometres in downtown Burlington as photos and videos began to flood social media.

The house under construction on Emerald Crescent was fully engulfed in flames.

Owner Dave Datars says construction began last June and he was looking to move-in in just a few months.

“We’re building a new custom home and we’re just devastated by the loss because we poured our heart and sole into it.” says Datars.

Neighbour Percy Collis says he feared for his life as the flames came dangerously close to his home, a designated heritage home known as the Betty Taylor Home. It was built in 1938 for the Olympic track and field athlete in her retirement.

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“The first thing that the fire department did in trying to contain the blaze, was also try to protect the two homes that surrounded the blaze, and they did quite a remarkable job at that.” explains Collis.

No one was injured, but authorities estimate there to have been upwards of $500,000 in damages and have notified the Ontario Fire Marshall.

When authorities arrived at the scene, they reported seeing a building fully engulfed with smoke and flames showing.

A spokesperson from Burlington Fire said there was a serious concern with this fire in particular, as the neighbourhood is tight with many old trees.

Firefighters had to move to using defensive tactics and were successful in protecting the adjacent homes.

Authorities were able to knock the fire down and prevent its spread. As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, crews remain on scene, monitoring for hot spots.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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