Man charged with arson in fatal Etobicoke fire
Victim found inside home on Stallion Place
A 24-year-old man has been charged with arson after a fatal fire in Etobicoke Wednesday night, Toronto police say.
Insp. Jim Gotell says homicide investigators have been called in and the man could face further charges.
Firefighters were initially called to the two-storey home on Stallion Place, near Highway 27 and Rexdale Boulevard, shortly before 9:30 p.m.
Crews arrived to find the residence fully engulfed in flames.
"Inside that building, it is absolutely scorched.," says Toronto Fire Deputy Chief Jim Jessop. "The heat was so bad it actually melted the shed to the rear of the building."
Firefighters found the remains of a person in the home, Gotell says. No further details about the victim were available.
It's unclear where the fire originated, but it appears to have started in the back and roof area of the home before spreading to the basement.
One firefighter was overcome by smoke and taken to hospital for extreme heat-related injuries.
Police found the man nearby and took him into custody, Gotell says.
The Office of the Fire Marshal is also assisting in the investigation.