Sudbury rooming house fire ignited by gas stored indoors

A fatal fire at a downtown Sudbury rooming house last year was caused by the indoor storage of gasoline.

Fire investigator James Allen said the gas ignited causing an explosion and a fire. The melted remains of the containers were found in the rubble.

Two men died in the fire. They were 34-year-old Kuldeep Chahal and 59-year-old Frank Berszinn.

Elgin Street Mission Pastor Rene Soulliere said both men were known at the mission. Everyone knew Frank, Soulliere said, and he's included on a memory board of clients who have died.

We were just shocked that this happened.- Elgin Street Mission Pastor Rene Soulliere.

“At the mission we get a lot of losses. Not just from the fire, but drugs and alcohol and stuff like that,” he said.

“You just gotta move on. But we all have our fond memories … and we all remember the funny times and we talk about [them].”

Soulliere said the city did a good job in responding to the nearly 20 people left homeless in that fire.

 “We were just shocked that this happened. When people say they heard Frank screaming when he was in the building, I mean, that just sickened all of us … we were in shock after that. We loved the guy, you know?”

Soulliere said the other man, Chahal, was quiet and kept to himself.

The city found shelter for those left homeless by the fire, he added.