Police have released the identity of a boy killed in this week's devastating house fire in the Strathroy area.

His name was Quinn Derbyshire. He was 10 years old. Quinn's parents are Cindy and Steven Derbyshire.

The news of the death has been devastating to the tight-knit community south of Strathroy, said Staff Sgt. Gilles Philion.

"It's crappy for everybody. Everybody knows each other and if we don't know them, we know someone who knows them," he said.

While firefighters have not released any information about smoke alarms in the house, Philion said they seemed to be working.

"I can tell you on the 911 call you can hear them," he said.

Police are still at the scene of the burned out farmhouse south of town, which had been the home to a family including three boys.

The Ontario Fire Marshal's office is investigating to determine a cause and information about the blaze.

The heartbroken community was aching for the Strathroy-area family following the fire from which a 10-year-old boy had been unaccounted.

Two other boys and two adults, who frantically searched for the third boy as they escaped the fire, were treated in hospital for smoke inhalation, said Strathroy-Caradoc fire Chief Brian George.

About 35 volunteer firefighters were on scene at the height of the blaze, and many of those knew the family through school, sports teams or social events, he said.

“A tragedy like this has such a huge impact,” George said.

Firefighters were called to the house on Melbourne Road, south of Strathroy, at about 10 p.m. Sunday. By the time they arrived, the two-­storey, century farmhouse was engulfed in flames.

Volunteers from all three Strathroy-­Caradoc stations and from the Kerwood station fought the blaze all night. With no hydrants at the rural site and no pond nearby, tankers shuttled back and forth from Strathroy with municipal water to beat back the flames.

Even so, the large country home was a shell by Monday morning. About 10 firefighters remained on the scene through the day to battle hot spots.

Provincial police and tracker dogs searched the area around the home for the boy, George said.

The home was too unstable for anyone to conduct a search Monday.

“The building itself has pretty much fallen in amongst itself” and it might be a couple of days before anyone can get inside, he said.

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office and Strathroy-Caradoc police are in charge of the scene, said Strathroy-Caradoc Const. Mark Thuss.

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A friend of the family has set up an online fundraising account, asking for donations to help ease the financial burden on the Derbyshire family at www.gofundme.com/e65yn3uh. Within the first day of launching, donations had reached more than $5,000

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The funeral arrangements are as follows:

Visitation: Friday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Denning Funeral Home, 32 Metcalfe Street West, Strathroy

Funeral: Saturday 1 p.m., East Christian Reform Church, 476 Metcalfe Street East.

The family has asked that any donations be given to the Strathroy District Minor Hockey Association, of which Quinn was an active member.

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SPATE OF FIRES

The Strathroy blaze was one of four to rip through houses in Southwestern Ontario within a 48-hour span, which has the unfortunate irony of being the start of fire prevention week across the country.

On Limberlost Road in northwest London, more than a dozen residents of eight townhouse units have had to find temporary places to live after fire tore through the complex Saturday morning. The size and quick spread of the fire means it will take a while to pinpoint its cause, said London Deputy Fire Chief Brian McLaughlin. The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office is helping investigate.

Nine people safely escaped a house fire in rural Perth County, north of Stratford, when smoke alarms sounded early Saturday morning. Four adults and five children were unhurt and the house sustained considerable damage.

No one was home and no one was injured when firefighters arrived to battle a blaze at a house on Cedar Swamp Road north of Parkhill early Monday morning. Fire crews from five stations responded to the call and crews remained on the scene until about 8:30 a.m. Monday.

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FIRE PREVENTION WEEK

The emphasis during this year’s fire prevention week is encouraging people to place a working smoke alarm in every bedroom: “Hear the beep where you sleep.”

It’s a potential lifesaver for about $30 in an average home.

Provincial law requires a smoke alarm on every floor of a home, but many children sleep too soundly to hear an alarm located in a hallway, said London Deputy Fire Chief Brian McLaughlin.

And, he said, many older people have hearing loss or may take hearing aids out at night, and should have alarms in their rooms.

Some alarms have lights as well, and they can serve as an additional safety measure, he said.

McLaughlin urged families to practise their fire escape plans and to designate an area away from the home to use as a gathering zone.

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Letter sent home Monday with students at Caradoc North public school:

­October 5, 2015



Dear Parents and Guardians of Caradoc North students,



It is with great sadness that we learned today of the tragic death of Quinn Derbyshire, a grade 6 student at our school.



Quinn was a loving boy and avid hockey and soccer player. He was a very popular student in the school and on the playground. Quinn had an incredible sense of humour and always wore a smile throughout the day.



This information was shared with your child’s class today. Members of the TVDSB Traumatic Events Response Team were in the school to support staff and students at this difficult time.



Your child may wish to further discuss this loss with you. If you would like some material to assist you with this discussion, please call the school.



On behalf of the Caradoc North school community, we wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the Derbyshire family.



At this time, arrangements have not been made.



Sincerely,



Mrs. Ellen Lundberg

Principal

