When Paramedics arrived on Christmas day evening, they saw two people running from a burning house in Bracebridge and brought them to warmth and safety.
The Bracebridge fire department responded with five trucks and eighteen firefighters to the Stoneleigh Road home near Muskoka Road 117 shortly after 8 p.m.
The fire department said the trucks could only get through in a single lane of plowed road, dragging hoses in three feet of snow and having to tanker shuttle water from Barron Drive.
The tired and cold firefighters left the scene at 2:30 a.m. but did a great job battling the conditions, according to Deputy Fire Chief Mike Peake.
“Firefighters did a fantastic job in these challenging conditions,” said Peake.
At the time of this report, there were no injuries reported. The home is considered a total loss, and there is no word on a damage estimate or a cause as this incident remains under investigation.
Update: A witness has confirmed to Muskoka411 that one person who escaped the house fire died despite life-saving efforts by paramedics. This is an ongoing story, and more details will be provided as they become available.