Fatal House Fire in St. George Deemed Not Suspicious

A house fire that claimed four lives in St. George, N.B. on Tuesday has been deemed not suspicious in nature, according to the RCMP.

The St. George Fire Department and other area fire departments responded to the blaze on South Street shortly after noontime. New Brunswick Emergency Medical Services and the St. George RCMP also attended the scene. Despite the best efforts of first responders, the four occupants of the home were pronounced dead at the scene.

The four deceased are an 80-year-old woman, and her three sons, ages 59, 56 and 52 years old. RCMP say it has been determined that all four died of smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is not considered suspicious.

"St. George is a small close-knit community and to lose four of our citizens in such a tragic way is difficult for all," says Sgt. Chris Henderson of the St. George RCMP. "People from St. George and from the nearby communities have come together in such a tremendous way to support the family, friends and all the first responders who were involved. We thank everyone for their support with this tragic event."

The provincial Fire Marshal's office is continuing to investigate the cause of the fire.

A graveside service for Esther Boyd and her sons William, David and Robert will be held at the St. George Rural Cemetery on Saturday at 11 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 2 p.m. at the St. George Baptist Church.