Investigators sifted through the charred remains of a home in central Saskatchewan on Monday after a fire that left three children and two seniors dead.
The weekend blaze decimated the home in Davidson, a town halfway between Regina and Saskatoon, torching the roof, shattering windows and leaving pockmarked burns on melted siding.
Neighbour Diane Taylor said she saw flames billow from the roof of the home where she had often seen a mother, a father and three boys.
“They biked on the sidewalks. They were great kids. They were very charismatic and very, very nice kids,” Ms. Taylor said in an interview.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so upset.”
Police cordoned off the area with yellow tape. A swing set could be seen in the yard. A sign saying “Our dogs live here” was posted on the back gate.
Elaine Ebenal, the mayor of Davidson, said the town is devastated.
“Our hearts go out to the family,” she said.
The mayor said she is also thinking of the local firefighters who were first on the scene.
Mounties said the fire happened about noon on Sunday.
They said officers and fire crews pulled an 80-year-old man and an 81-year-old woman from the flaming structure, but the two were pronounced dead in hospital.
Once the fire was put out, crews discovered the remains of three children inside.
The ages of the children have not been released.
“It’s devastating,” said Larry Packet, who runs a coffee shop and catering business in the town of just over 1,000 people.
Mr. Packet said the dead seniors were the children’s grandparents.
He said the grandparents were not from Davidson and were taking care of the children while the parents were out of town.
“I can’t imagine what the parents are going through, and to lose the mother and father also,” he said.
Mr. Packet said the parents had moved to the town about four years ago and ran a successful business. The loving and kind family fit easily into the close-knit community, he added.