Family friend identifies 3 boys killed in Brampton house fire
CBC
A family friend has identified three boys who died in a Brampton house fire on Thursday.
The boys were Alex Bagan-Overholt, 9, and his brothers Riley, 12 and Coen 15, said Crystal Mark, a close friend of their mother, Heather Bagan.
Peel Regional Police confirmed Bagan was taking a younger child to school when the fire broke out and that no other adult was home. One of the boys called 911, but the fire tore through the townhouse too fast for firefighters to rescue them.
Mark said Bagan is being surrounded with support and police say she did nothing wrong.
"She is one of the most resilient, capable and giving parents that I've seen. So watching this happen feels not real," she told CBC News on Friday.
Mark said the boys were good kids — "fun, friendly … sweet with other neighbourhood children."
"It really is a tragedy when something like this happens."
Ontario's fire marshal is still investigating, but the cause of the fire may take some time to figure out.
"Our hearts go out to the family and community in this difficult time," the fire marshal's office said in a statement on Friday.
Deputy Fire Marshal Tim Beckett was at the scene on Thursday to offer support to Brampton firefighters and the fire marshal's investigative team.
The fire marshal's office has assigned four investigators to the case and staff are on the scene on Friday working with Peel Regional Police in Brampton Fire and Emergency Services.
"As the nature of any fire scene is unique, fire investigators take their time to thoroughly go through all evidence and data before finalising any report," the fire marshal's office said.
"As this investigation has only just begun, it would be premature to speculate on any findings or timeframe of completion.".
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