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Kurt Browning's Forest Hill home damaged in fire
| Source: |
Toronto Star |
| Date: |
August 18, 2010 |
| Author: |
Gloria Er-Chua, Joanne Wong and Denise Balkissoon |
It began with a Porsche convertible that had been left out in the rain
and a failed attempt to dry the seat with a leaf blower on Wednesday
morning.
The resulting three-alarm fire sent flames through the roof of the
Forest Hill mansion, brought 80 firefighters and at least 10 fire
trucks to the scene and cost figure skater Kurt Browning and his
ballet dancer wife Sonia Rodriguez the contents of their home.
"We’re dealing with a bit of a crisis here," an obviously
rattled Browning told the Star. "It’s family time right
now."
Neighbour Mike Markovic said he ran out of his house when he heard the
commotion and saw half the house on fire and a bare-foot Browning
standing outside.
"There were popping sounds," he said. "I saw Kurt on the other side of
the road, he looked like he had just run out of the house. He was not
wearing shoes."
Toronto police were first alerted to the fire at Browning’s Forest
Hill home on Forest Hill Rd. at Larratt St., just before 11 a.m., said
Toronto police Staff Sgt. Scott Spratt.
Firefighters evacuated the home and assumed a defensive position at
around 11:45 a.m., when the fire broke through the roof, said Toronto
Fire spokesman Capt. Mike Strapko.
"There are no firefighters inside the house because it could be
structurally unsound," he said.
Toronto Fire North Division Commander Bob O’Hallarn said the blaze
started when a leaf blower was left unattended in the mansion’s
garage. A man, whom fire officials would only identify as the
homeowner, had been using it to dry the seats of a Porsche convertible
that had gotten wet from rain.
O’Hallarn said when he discovered the fire, "he ran to get the
extinguisher and tried to put it out, but by the time our crews
arrived, it had spread into the house."
In addition to Browning, one of his children and a painter were in the
house when the fire started. Rodriguez, a principal dancer with the
National Ballet of Canada, was at National Ballet headquarters on
Jarvis St. Wednesday morning, but left as soon as she learned of the
fire.
Browning, Rodriguez and their two sons, Gabriel and Dillon, are all
fine, said Barb McDonald, director of corporate communications for
Skate Canada.
No injuries were reported, and even the pets apparently are safe,
said O’Hallarn
A friend said the family is doing as well as could be expected after
losing almost all their possessions.
The damage to the house, however, is "extensive" and will probably
cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair. "Nobody will be
living in this house for a period of time," said O’Hallarn.
John Mordy, who watched the scene from a nearby lawn with his dog,
lives next door to Browning’s property and was sleeping when his
sister-in-law alerted him. When he got out of his house, he saw a
"20-foot" flame coming from the neighbouring garage. Mordy said
firefighters had also sprayed his house with water to prevent the fire
from spreading.
Browning, 44, has won gold four times at the World Figure Skating
Championships and represented Canada at three Winter
Olympics. Rodriguez has danced principal roles in National Ballet
performances of Swan Lake and Giselle, and performed with companies
all over the world.
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