One-year-old girl dies in Westport, Ont. fire
A house fire in Rideau Lakes Township has claimed the life of a one-year-old girl.
The fire at the home on Concession Road 9 in Westport, Ont. started around 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police said Thursday the body of one-year-old Samara Holmes was found in the home after the blaze was extinguished.
Ontario Provincial Police say Holmes was sleeping at home with four of her family members when the fire broke out.
"One adult that was able to escape the house with two children, and by the time they were able to go back inside it was covered in smoke and it was impossible," said OPP Sgt. Cynthia Savard.
Two firefighters were injured while fighting the fire.
A small tribute of flowers and stuffed animals was placed outside the home Wednesday afternoon and continued to grow on Thursday.
Family members have started a GoFundMe page, which had raised more than $22,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
The Leeds OPP Crime Unit is investigating along with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office, Chief Coroner for Ontario and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.
Police said anyone with information should contact OPP or Crime Stoppers, and may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.
"There were heavy conditions and there was a child who was unaccounted for inside the home," Rideau Lakes Fire Chief Scott Granahan said on Wednesday.
Firefighters trying to rescue the child from the heavy smoke and flames became trapped themselves.
"A section of the ceiling collapsed, striking and trapping two of our firefighters," said Granaham. "They were rescued by other firefighters and taken to hospital."
The OPP says the fire is not considered suspicious.
Westport is about 120 kilometres southwest of Ottawa.
- with files from CTV's Kimberley Johnson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.