Pikangikum fatal fire: site investigation to wrap up soon says OPP

Provincial police say the examination of the Pikangikum First Nation residence that burned to the ground on Tuesday night is expected to be completed by the end of the weekend or early next week.

The fatal fire claimed the lives of three children and six adults who were staying in the three-bedroom, Dunsford Road home in the remote northwestern Ontario community.

• Pikangikum fire highlights dire conditions faced by First Nations
• Fire investigations find many homes on First Nations lack smoke alarms
• Pikangikum First Nation mourns deaths of 3 generations of family

Currently the Office of the Regional Supervising Coroner, as well as a forensic anthropologist from the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, is on scene with numerous police officers, OPP said in a news release Friday.

"The forensic anthropologist, Forensic Identification Services Unit and investigators from the Office of the Fire Marshal will be continuing the physical and forensic examination of the scene," the release continued.

"An electrical engineer will be arriving ... today to assist with the scene examination."

Police said once all human remains have been located and removed from the site, post mortem examinations will take place at the Office of the Chief Coroner and Forensic Pathology Services in Toronto.

The cause of the fire is still being determined.

Community members in Pikangikum First Nation held a candle-light vigil Wednesday night to honour and pray for the three generations of the family that died in the blaze.

Pikangikum, which is about 500 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, is only accessible by air.