A massive house fire that gutted a Linden Drive townhouse on Christmas Day is finally being cleaned up.
Matching row houses line the Preston Heights neighbourhood like symmetrical blocks. One that stands out is the burnt hollow shell of a family's former home.
Four months since the fire took place on Christmas night, construction crews were on scene Monday to begin tearing down the charred structure after delayed insurance payouts and permits.
The site manager for the team tearing down the home said he was surprised they’re not tearing down the entire block of houses. The water damage in the neighbouring units was quite extensive, he said.
The charred unit was a glaring eye sore to the residents in the area populated by young families.
Waseem Wajid lives directly across the street from where the fire took place, and is happy the burnt building is finally being taken down.
“I am happy to see this thing being taken down. I am worried about the dust that the demolition will cause,” said Wajid.
Every time he sees the house, it reminds him of the night of the fire. He says the house looks like a dark, lifeless home from a scary movie when he arrives home from work at night.
He has children that like to play outside and is worried that they might find the house intimidating or scary.
Pratak Pandya’s wife noticed the fire on their balcony a few doors down from the blaze. They rushed outside and started knocking on their neighbour's doors to help them get outside.
As they stood across the street, they could feel the heat on their faces as the fire lit up the street on a cold Christmas night.
“It was very scary, we went out with our daughter trying to get everybody out. There was glass shattering, lots of commotion, very distressing,” said Pandya.
Since the fire, Pandya has had many questions about the damage from friends and family coming over to visit.
He said It’s impossible for people not to notice the burnt out house next door to him.
"Its been a lengthy four months, but I am glad they are removing the damage," Pandya said.
Only one of the damaged town-homes will be completely removed and the others will be fixed and reinforced according to the construction manager, who spoke off record.
Approximately $2 million worth of damage was reported and the cause of the fire has still not been made public.
It has been ruled a non-suspicious incident.
