Key Points:
- Nick Taylor describes hearing a loud “pop” and seeing a bathroom window blow out, followed by rushing into a smoke-filled house to rescue his partner, Teresa Cartwright.
- Taylor managed to pull Cartwright out of the burning home but later fled the scene fearing arrest due to an outstanding warrant.
- Cartwright was airlifted to a hospital, but she died after being taken off life support on Saturday.
- The fire, which caused significant damage, is under investigation by London police and the Ontario Fire Marshal.
- Taylor believes the fire was caused by an e-bike battery charging in the living room, contrary to neighbour concerns about homeless individuals staying on the property.
- Neighbours have expressed concerns about the couple’s property, which has several makeshift structures and scattered items.
On Thursday, April 17, 2025, a devastating fire broke out at a house on Avalon Street in east London. Nick Taylor, who was in the backyard at the time, heard a loud “pop” and saw a bathroom window explode. Concerned for his partner, Teresa Cartwright, who was napping upstairs, Taylor rushed into the smoke-filled house. “I could hear her screaming my name,” Taylor said, describing how he blindly entered the house to rescue Cartwright. He managed to drag her out of the burning building before hearing several more explosions from inside.
Why did Nick Taylor leave the scene?
After pulling Cartwright from the home, Taylor made the difficult decision to leave the scene. He feared that if he stayed, he would be arrested due to an outstanding probation warrant. “I wanted to be able to be at the hospital for her. I knew that if I stuck there, I was going to go to jail right away,” Taylor explained. He was arrested when he visited Cartwright at Victoria Hospital, where she had been airlifted before being taken to a Hamilton hospital. Unfortunately, she died on Saturday after being removed from life support.
What caused the fire on Avalon Street?
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Taylor suspects that the blaze was ignited by an e-bike battery charging in the living room. He disputed claims that the fire was linked to homeless people who had been staying in the backyard of the home. Taylor explained that he and Cartwright had tried to help those in need by allowing homeless individuals to stay at their property. The neighbourhood had expressed concerns about the state of the couple’s property, which contained several makeshift structures and scattered items, including e-bikes and shopping carts.
How did neighbours describe Teresa Cartwright and Nick Taylor?
Neighbours remember Cartwright as a kind and caring person. Kimberly McCallum, a neighbour who met the couple two years ago, described Cartwright as someone who would always help others in need. “If you needed something, she would do it,” McCallum said. Taylor, too, was known for his generosity. “He did everything for everybody,” McCallum added. Taylor’s mother, Mary Ella, said Cartwright’s addiction did not define her. “She was somebody’s daughter, she was a mom, she was a wife, and she was my daughter-in-law,” she said, also expressing her grief over the loss of her grandson’s mother.
What is Nick Taylor’s current situation?
Nick Taylor is struggling to cope with the loss of his partner and is staying in a motel. He is unsure when he will be allowed to return to his home, which was heavily damaged in the fire. He continues to grapple with the loss of Cartwright, recalling that despite her severe injuries, he believed she would survive. “I could tell she was burned… but I thought she was going to survive,” he said, heartbroken over her passing.
