One person dead after Sandwich Street fire

The Windsor Police Service’s Arson Unit is investigating the death of a 71-year-old woman after an apartment fire on the city’s west side Monday morning.

At about 7 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 3000 block of Sandwich Street for a fire on the ground floor.

The woman, who was found inside, was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Representatives from the office of the Ontario Fire Marshal arrived at the scene on Monday afternoon.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The police service is asking anyone with information to call the Windsor Police Arson Unit at 519-255-6700, ext. 4330, or contact Crime Stoppers.

Fire prevention

The Sandwich Street incident marked the fourth notable fire in Windsor over a 24-hour period.

In an interview with CTV News, Windsor Fire and Rescue Services Deputy Chief of Operations Jamie Waffle said crews responded to two unconnected Ouellette Avenue fires Sunday morning in less than a two-hour span.

Windsor fire responded to a call at 810 Ouellette around 10 a.m. for what proved to be a mattress fire. At about 11:40 a.m., crews moved to a separate fire at 920 Ouellette.

“Unfortunately, we have one injury, a patient is in critical condition,” Waffle said of the second fire.

Waffle added “careless smoking” was determined to be the cause of both fires.

“You can't reiterate the point enough that careless smoking is still the number one cause of fires in the city, along with careless cooking,” Waffle said.

The deputy chief is asking those who smoke to do so outside in a secure location and not when tired or in bed.

“Fire will double in size every minute,” Waffle said.

“You're talking four to six minutes to completely consume a room, and completely consume a home sometimes in less than 10 minutes.”

Waffle said crews also responded to a fire at a commercial building on Sunday evening, but nobody sustained any injuries.

Following the string of fires over a short period, Waffle is pleading with residents to be cautious.

“Not smoking in bed, not smoking when you’re tired, working smoke alarms, working carbon monoxide detectors, having an exit plan, keeping your door shut if you're in a high rise,” he said.