Video – Neighbour Alerts Homeowner to Fire on D’Arcy Street in Cobourg

Pete Fisher
2 hours ago
• Categories: Local

A quick-thinking neighbour who noticed smoke and flames coming from the roof of a Cobourg home helped alert the homeowner to a fire on Sunday afternoon, November 1, 2026.

Cobourg Fire Department crews responded to the structure fire on D’Arcy Street at approximately 3:40 p.m. after a neighbour spotted smoke and flames coming from the roof of the residence.

The neighbour went to the home and knocked on the door to alert the homeowner before emergency crews were called.

Acting Fire Chief Kevin Ashfield said when firefighters arrived, smoke and flames were visible coming from the roof area on the south side of the house.

Crews quickly went into action, launching an aggressive interior attack.

“They pulled down some ceilings really quick. They got their hose line up into the attic and were able to knock most of the fire down in a short time,” Ashfield said.

The preliminary indication is that the fire may have originated around a bathroom ceiling fan.

However, Ashfield said a fire investigator was being brought in to examine the scene and determine the exact cause.

“We’re going to preserve that area. We’re going to take the fan down, take it apart piece by piece, and just make sure that that is where we think the origin is of the fire,” he said.

Most of the damage appears to be concentrated in the attic and roof area, although firefighters had to remove portions of the ceilings to access the fire.

As a precaution, hydro and natural gas service to the home were shut off.

Ashfield said there was very little smoke inside the house when firefighters arrived, with most of it escaping through the roof vents and eaves.

He added that the neighbour’s actions may have prevented the situation from becoming considerably worse.

“Without somebody seeing this, this could have been a lot worse,” Ashfield said.

He noted that if the fire had occurred during the early morning hours, the outcome could have been significantly different.

Ashfield explained that because the smoke and flames were rising and escaping through the roof vents, the home’s smoke alarms may not have activated.

“One of the issues you run into is that smoke and everything is all rising and actually, until it gets into the house, it would never have alerted the homeowners. It would never have set off the smoke alarms with all that smoke and everything going out all the vents up in the roof,” he said.

At this time, there is no damage estimate available.

Ashfield said there was nothing suspicious about the circumstances based on the information available at the scene, but the investigation will help establish the fire’s origin and cause.

Although police had closed D’Arcy Street between the area of University Avenue East and Gravely Street and numerous emergency vehicles were on scene with emergency lights activated a number of vehicles tried, or did drive around police vehicles.