Two dead, four injured, three unaccounted for in Brampton, Ont., house fire: police

Emergency officials in Peel Region say two people are dead and four others are in hospital after a house fire in Brampton, Ont., early Thursday, as crews search for three people who remain unaccounted for. 

Peel police said they responded to the scene near McLaughlin and Remembrance roads around 2:15 a.m. after several 911 calls reported a fire. Multiple homes were evacuated, police said.

Police said two adults were pronounced dead while four others, including a child around four or five years old, were taken to hospital in critical condition.  

Const. Tyler Bell said investigators believe there are 11 people associated with the home, including a multi-generational family of nine people and two people who may be from a sub-unit inside the residence. 

Three people, including a child, are unaccounted for and may have been in the house, he said, though police have received varying reports.

“We have unconfirmed numbers, so it’s very difficult when we respond to these calls at this hour because some people might have left for work or are working overnight,” Bell said at a press conference Thursday morning. 

Brampton fire Chief Andy Glynn said the fire spread to the roof and collapsed parts of the structure. One of the deceased was found inside the house while the other was found outside, he said. 

“The amount of fire involvement in this structure was significant, which prevented our crews from fully accessing the entire building,” said Glynn. 

Glynn added that adjacent homes to the house were also damaged by the blaze, but residents from those homes were uninjured.  

Bell said it’s too early to tell if the fire was suspicious or criminal in nature. The provincial fire marshal has been called in to investigate, he added. 

Bell said crews were working to stabilize the house so officials can conduct a thorough search. 

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said the home has a history of compliance issues and the city has issued multiple orders to follow building and fire safety requirements.

“While it is too early to determine the exact cause or whether fire code violations contributed, this tragedy underscores why Brampton continues to take strong action against illegal and unsafe rental units,” Brown said in a statement.

The mayor praised the residents who escaped as brave, saying a five-year-old child leapt from the second floor to survive.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2025.