BRAMPTON, Ont. — There were no working smoke alarms in a home that caught fire last week, the Office of the Fire Marshal said Thursday as it announced a sixth person has died as a result of the blaze.
Fire tore through the family home early last Monday, March 28, killing three children and their two parents, and sending a sixth person -- identified by family as the children's grandmother, Bonnie O'Dea -- to hospital in critical condition.
"The Office of the Fire Marshal can confirm that a sixth person has died as a result of the tragic fire that took place last month on Conestoga Drive in Brampton. Our thoughts are with the family and community during this difficult time," a spokesman for the office said in an email Thursday.
Sean Driscoll said the office is continuing its investigation into the cause of the fire, which has so far found that there weren't any working smoke detectors in the building.
"The Office of the Fire Marshal urges everyone to test their smoke alarms as working smoke alarms are one of the simplest ways to keep you and your family safe in the event of a fire," he said.
The deceased have been identified as O'Dea's daughter Raven Alisha Ali-O'Dea, 29, her son-in-law Nazir Ali, 28, and their children -- seven-year-old Layla Rose Ali-O'Dea, eight-year-old Jayden Prince Ali-O'Dea and 10-year-old Alia Marilyn Ali-O'Dea.
The children's grandfather said his daughter and her husband had recently renovated the entire home, hiring a team to replace the floors, stove, lights and paint. The renovations wrapped up two months ago.
Luis Felipa previously told The Canadian Press that he's been wondering if the smoke alarms were put back in after they were removed for painting.
Felipa said he now hopes to become an advocate on the issue of fire prevention, and plans to use whatever money is raised through a benefit fundraiser and memorial event being held on May 21 in Brampton to purchase smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors for residents who can't afford them.
Brampton fire Chief Bill Boyes said last week that firefighters and fire prevention officers checked homes in the area last week and found that some of them did not have working smoke alarms.
"We can't see more people in the province of Ontario and city of Brampton perish in a fire,'' Boyes told reporters outside the burned home last Tuesday. "It's completely unacceptable and it's completely preventable.''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2022.
The Canadian Press
