Grandmother dies, mother and 2 children believed dead, in Port Colborne fire

An 83-year-old grandmother died and a mother and her two children are unaccounted for, but believed to be dead, after a fire ripped through their family home in Port Colborne, Ont.

The firebroke out overnight in the Lake Erie community on Nickel Streetnear the Welland Canal. Niagara police and local fire and EMS departments were called at around 1:20 a.m. ET Wednesday.

"When we got here, there was heavy fire ... flames showing 10 feet [about three metres] over the house," said Port Colbornefire Chief Thomas Cartwright.

"There were people in the street yelling at us that there were people in the house."

Police have confirmed that a family lived in the home, and that the grandmother was pulled from the rubble and pronounced dead at the scene.

Three other residents of the home are unaccounted for. Neighbours identified them as Tammy Burd, 37, her daughter, Sam, 15, and son, Josh, 2.

Burd's husband managed to escape, police said.

Niagara Region Police Service Const. Phil Gavinsaid it was too early to determine the cause of the fire and that the province's fire marshalwould investigate.

Gavin alsosaid in a tweet that thehouse has significant structural damage and "presently is not safe for investigators to enter."

Cartwright saidit's very delicate and dangerous to get into the home due to fire damage and ice buildup on the house from water firefighters sprayed to try to put out the flames.

"It makes it very difficult," he said. "Trucks are freezing up."

Late Wednesday afternoon,Niagarapolicesaidweatherwascomplicating attempts to find the three missing persons andthat heavy equipment wasbeing brought in to help investigators clear debris.

That effort will likely continue into Thursday.

Nickel Streetis closed between Fares Streetand Mitchell Streetuntil further notice.

Welland Transit buses were used to house people forced from their homes due to smoke from the fire.