Explosion and fire at a residence sends man to hospital, officials investigating

An investigation is underway after a fire at a multi-unit dwelling on Church Street in Windsor, Ont., sent a man to hospital with significant burn injuries, fire officials say.

In a tweet, Windsor Fire said that the fire marshal's office has confirmed that an explosion took place in one of the units Saturday afternoon.

The office is working with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority to determine the cause of the explosion and the fire.

Andrea DeJong, Windsor Fire's deputy chief of support services, explained that officials were called to the scene around 4:40 p.m. Saturday.

"When crews responded, they found that actually the victim — the person who's now in hospital — was being walked out by one of the other tenants. They made it outside," said DeJong.

"There were no injuries to any of the other tenants other than the one gentleman in the suite where the fire occurred."

DeJong explained that when crews arrived, they were able to put the fire out.

She said it appears to be some kind of cooking fire because of the types of injuries sustained by the man who lived in the unit. The exact cause has not yet been determined.

The injured man will receive care from the burn unit in Hamilton.

Eight other residents have been displaced, DeJong explained, because the building's gas has been turned off to ensure that everything is safe and that there are no issues with the gas line.

DeJong encourages the public to have all of their gas appliances checked regularly and to make sure they're maintained properly.

"When you're cooking, don't leave your cooking, don't walk away from it. If something on your stove catches fire, instead of trying to carry it out or to take it outside, we suggest you put a lid on it and to smother the fire."