A 49-year-old woman from Brantford is deceased as a result of a residential fire.
Officers with the Brantford Police Service, along with Brantford Fire and Brant County Paramedics, responded to a residential fire at a Buchanan Crescent home at approximately 7:45 a.m. on Monday, May 5, 2025.
A 49-year-old woman who resided within the home was transported to hospital where she was pronounced deceased. Three other adults were present in the home at the time of the fire and were transported to hospital for treatment. The extent of their injuries are unknown.
Neighbours told CHCH News they saw smoke and flames pouring from the window of the townhouse at the height of the fire.
“I smelled smoke, it smelled like burning rubber,” said Chad Gauthier, someone who lives in the complex where the fire occurred. “It just looked like smoke and then when I came around the corner and I seen it – it just started coming out, engulfed in flames. Four feet of flames – three feet of flames.”
Gauthier said another man had tried to run into the unit to help.
One of his neighbours said firefighters had kicked in the door to get inside the burning home and brought out a woman in a blanket.
“I see smoke coming through that window, you know what I mean, then I see the firetruck, men running inside there, kick off the door and go inside and come back out with a lady inside of a blanket,” said Brandon Thomas, a neighbour, “you know, because she had severe burns.”
Brantford police say a 49-year-old woman who lived in the home was brought to hospital, where she was then pronounced deceased.
“She was a nice lady, you know what I mean, everybody around here, she always said ‘hi’,” said Thomas.
The Office of the Fire Marshall will be working in conjunction with Brantford police to investigate the fire as a criminal investigation.
