Ontario Fire Marshal hoping to wrap up investigation into Kitchener fire soon

The Office of the Fire Marshal were called in to investigate a Kitchener house fire. (Sidra Jafri/CTV News)

An investigation is underway after home in Kitchener was significantly damaged by a fire.

Crews of the Kitchener Fire Department were able to extinguish the fire at a house on Stirling Avenue on Tuesday, where smoke could still be seen pouring out of the home five hours later.

The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) were called in to investigate the fire.

According to OFM investigator Mike Ross, the OFM arrived on-scene to investigate the fire on Thursday. He said cold weather had frozen water used to tackle the blaze and slowed the investigation down but they hoped to finish up quickly.

“At this point, we’re still basically considering everything,” Ross told CTV News on Friday. “The determination will be made on evidence… So, we’re still just sort of following the process and anticipate being completed probably later today.”

Tuesday’s fire

Crews from the Kitchener Fire Department were called to Stirling Avenue around 4 p.m. Tuesday.

When they arrived, flames were already shooting through the roof and thick smoke filled the street.

“The style of roof (metal overlay) and the winter conditions are proving to be challenging,” Dave Heuchert, the chief fire prevention officer, wrote in an email to CTV News on Tuesday night.

As of 9 p.m., smoke was still pouring out of the building.

Heuchert confirmed the house had working smoke alarms. The residents were alerted by the alarms and everyone got out safely.

“The residents will not be allowed back inside at this time, due to the damage to the home,” he added.

Ross said that the damage for the house is significant, with a lot of it being toward the rear and inside the home. He said two to three rooms in the home are majorly damaged, as well as the roof.

There is currently no estimate on how much the damages cost.