Everything we know about the Chambers Ave. crime scene

We're not sure what firefighters found when they responded to a basement fire early yesterday at 284 Chambers, but the site appears to be a major crime scene.

The light blue single-family residence and its backyard are surrounded by police tape.

Sault Ste. Marie Police Services has its mobile command unit there, as well as at least one forensics vehicle.

A fire services vehicle has also been there for much of the day.

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Firefighters were called there at 3:36 a.m. yesterday after a report was received that smoke was coming from the rear of the house.

When they arrived, the home's occupants were standing on the sidewalk, indicating that everyone got out safely.

Neighbours tell SooToday.com that the main floor of the dwelling is occupied by a mother and her young adult daughter while the adult son, his common-law spouse and their young daughter lived in the basement.

The fire is believed to have started in the basement.

It took firefighters 20 minutes to knock down the flames.

The blaze is being investigated by both City Police and the Ontario Fire Marshall's Office, which, among other things, is trying to determine whether there was a working smoke alarm.

At the scene today, SooToday.com saw a man dressed in blue overalls carrying what appeared to be a gas can from a red fire services vehicle into the house, making several trips to and from the vehicle.

(With files from SooToday.com's David Helwig.)