One man killed, three others injured in Guelph house fire

Scene of a fatal fire on Sunset Road, near Willow Road and Applewood Crescent, in Guelph, Ont. on March 19, 2025. (Sidra Jafri/CTV News)

A man has died after firefighters pulled him from a burning Guelph home on Wednesday morning.

It is the first fire fatality in the city this year.

First responders were called to Sunset Road, near Willow Road and Applewood Crescent, just before 7 a.m.

Guelph Police said four people were inside the home at the time of the fire.

Two residents on the second floor managed to escape. Both were treated by paramedics for minor smoke inhalation.

Firefighters rescued a man and woman, both in their 40s, from the basement.

“The two upstairs were alerted to the smoke,” explained Scott Tracey, the media relations coordinator for Guelph Police. “They tried to get the two tenants out of the basement and were unsuccessful in doing so.”

Police said the man died, while the woman was transported to a Hamilton hospital for further medical treatment.

A dog was also taken to the Guelph Humane Society for assessment.

Officials said they’re still determining the source and cause of the fire.

“I’m very proud of the efforts of our Guelph firefighters demonstrated this morning,” said Guelph Fire Chief Brian Arnold. “Unfortuantely, the results were not what we hoped for. The efforts [of firefighters] were professional and they worked efficiently and as effectively as they could under difficult fire conditions. I thank them for their work and for their efforts.”

The Ontario Fire Marshall is also investigating.