House fire

A resident handyman said he wanted to make sure no one was inside when he went into a burning Egan Street home on Saturday.

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue received a 911 call around 4 p.m. on Saturday. About six units responded when black smoke appeared out of the second story window of an Egan Street home. Fire crews were able to get the fire under control soon after they arrived.

Devon Bond, a resident handyman, said he was working on a friend’s deck across the street when his girlfriend noticed the smoke. Concerned that someone may have been inside, Bond went into the house but left once he felt it was too dangerous, he said.

"We tried the front door but it was locked so we tried the backdoor and it was open," Bond said. "We wanted to make sure that no one was in the house. We went through the house and kicked the doors open. When we got to the top of the stairs we found the door was hot and smoke was coming out so we decided to leave and wait for the fire department."

North Central Fire Station District Chief Les Newman said no one was home at the time but the man who entered the house could have become a victim himself.

"People should not enter a building that’s what we’re equipped for and that’s what we’re trained for," Newman said. "You stand a far better chance of making yourself another victim. This was beyond a small fire. It did go through the wall in a couple places and it did char some of the underside of the roof."

Most of the damage to the house happened near the second floor bedroom and fire officials wouldn’t know the cause until they completed their investigation, he said.