More Under-Construction Houses Burn Down in GTA, Cause Still Unknown
Six Branthaven townhouses, part of the Millcroft Towns project, were completely destroyed by an early morning fire on Wednesday.
The fire was reported around 4:30 a.m. when several 911 calls alerted the Burlington Fire Department. Upon arrival at the scene, firefighters found the townhouses, located at Appleby Line and Taywood Drive, fully engulfed in flames.
Marlon Da Silva, the director of construction at Branthaven Homes, confirmed that the units, along with the on-site construction trailer, were completely razed.
Interestingly, the homes had no electricity at the time of the fire, leaving the cause of the blaze unknown. While arson has not been ruled out, the destruction of on-site security cameras has made it challenging to determine the origin of the fire.
Da Silva is now hopeful that cameras across the street may have captured something useful for investigation.
Fortunately, no workers were present on-site during the outbreak, and there have been no reported injuries. Nevertheless, the fire did not only destroy the townhouses but also affected the power in the area, including traffic signals at Dundas Street and Appleby Line.
The damages are estimated to exceed $3 million, leading to significant financial losses. The Ontario Fire Marshal has been called upon to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
According to Burlington Today, Branthaven Homes is a local family-owned home builder founded in 1971. They are the latest developer to see their developments mysteriously catch fire. Two weeks ago, a similar fire erupted in Richmond Hill, affecting four unoccupied homes.
A month earlier, a fire in Oakville ravaged unoccupied homes including some belonging to a development by Mattamy Homes that were nearing their turnover period.
It can be recalled that earlier this year, buyers of pre-construction houses from Mattamy Homes protested at the homebuilder’s Dundas Street West sales office saying the firm should act on the falling value of home prices causing them to lose their investment in houses they bought at market’s peak.
It’s unclear whether these incidents are connected, as no cause or causes have been determined as of this writing. What is clear is that Toronto real estate is literally on fire.
Information for this story was found via Burlington Today, Twitter/X, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
