An unidentified man burned to death Friday when his truck caught fire after an explosion at Ryder Truck Rentals Ltd., on Pond Mills Road. Fire officials are trying to determine the cause of the explosion and fire which destroyed the truck and two gasoline pumps. (By Don James of The Free Press)
Unknown man dies in fire in blast at truck rental firm
Police are trying to identify a man burned to death Friday in an explosion and fire at Ryder Truck Rentals Ltd., on Pond Mills Road.
The body was burned beyond recognition and police will have to use medical and dental records for a positive identification.
All employees at Ryder had been accounted for and no one had any idea who the man might be. An autopsy is to be held today.
Fire officials are trying to determine the cause of the explosion and fire which broke out at 1 p.m., and destroyed a truck and two gasoline pumps.
Fire Capt. Jerry Beedle said when he arrived “the cab was completely involved and the gas meters were burning.”
He said he did not know if the fire originated in the pumps or the truck or was caused by fumes.
The victim was found lying face down between the truck’s passenger door and the pumps.
Firemen using chemicals had the blaze extinguished minutes after arriving.
Police and firemen collected samples of debris at the scene for laboratory analysis.
The firm’s shop foreman, Joe Masse, was one of the first at the scene.
“I ran out there as soon as I heard someone yell “fire” and grabbed an extinguisher. I tried to get close enough to drag him (the victim) away and get some of the fire out but it was too late . . . too bad . . . “
Robert Kaufman of the Ontario fire marshal’s office, police Sgt. Martin van Weert and coroner Dr. Bev Robinson are involved in the investigation.
Dr. Robinson has ordered the pumps checked by experts to determine if they were faulty.
Fire department radio dispatchers refused Friday night to release any information about the fire, withholding even the time the alarm was received.
One dispatcher told The Free Press the time sheet for the call bore the words “not for press.”
(The fire department routinely releases information about the times and types of fires for the fire calls column.)
Joe Byway, the night supervisor in the fire department radio room, said he was given no explanation for the instructions.
He said the words must have been added to the time sheet by the day staff, possibly at the insistence of the fire inspector’s office.
London police Inspector John Robinson said Friday night he had been unable to determine who had ordered the information kept confidential or why.
