An 84-year-old woman has died following a house fire in Toronto. Emergency crews were called to a two-storey home near Avenue Road and Boswell Avenue around 11 p.m. Saturday. Firefighters found the woman on the second floor, rescued her, and transported her to hospital with life-threatening injuries. She later died.
Toronto Fire reported heavy smoke and flames on arrival. The blaze caused significant damage but was contained to the property. Crews remained on scene Sunday for fire watch, and Enbridge Gas attended due to concerns the fire may have been fueled by gas. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Update – The 84-year-old woman is identified to be Giovanna Balestrieri. Police says the fire is now deemed to be an arson-related homicide.
Update 2 – On December 5, police announced that they have taken 34-year-old Curtis Leander McLeod into custody and charged him with first-degree murder in connection to the fatal fire.