Morriston house fire deemed suspicious
Wellington OPP crime unit investigating early morning blaze that destroyed home
MORRISTON – A Whitcombe Way house is destroyed after a fire broke out in the early morning hours on Tuesday.
Wellington OPP stated in a news release "the fire has been deemed suspicious" and its crime unit is investigating.
The multi-million dollar home is the same one involved in a November armed home invasion, during which an occupant was shot.
OPP spokesperson Carly McKeown declined to confirm whether police are exploring a connection.
No details about the home invasion investigation have been released since November, when police said four suspects fled the home in a four-door sedan.
Puslinch interim fire chief Michael Chant told the Advertiser a 911 call came in around 4:30am on March 24 from a driver who spotted the flames.
Around 25 volunteer firefighters responded to the blaze with six vehicles and found the home "fully involved" with flames.
Typically a fire begins in a localized area of the home and spreads, Chant said, noting it was suspicious that the entire home was engulfed.
Firefighters attacked from the rear and sides of the house and with water above from an aerial truck.
Without hydrants in Puslinch, the department called in help from Rockwood and Cambridge tanker trucks to complement its own, running water from the south end of Guelph to the scene throughout the morning.
According to Chant, neighbours reported the home was vacant. No injuries have been reported.
"It's a total loss," Chant said.
The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM), which provides specialized investigations into serious fires, was on scene Tuesday afternoon, he added.
The Advertiser has reached out to the OFM for comment.
Chant said a Puslinch crew remained on scene late Tuesday morning, applying water and extinguishing hot spots.
"There's still lots of smoke, still flare-ups," Chant said.
"Once the roof's burnt off, everything sort of pancakes into the lowest level so fire gets trapped in all the voids underneath all the material ... so it's going to burn for probably another half day."
After the fire is fully out, the scene will be turned over to police to investigate.
Anyone with information can call police or Crime Stoppers.
