1 dead after fire at high-rise in Toronto’s west end

A woman is dead and two other people suffered minor injuries following a two-alarm blaze at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s west end early Tuesday morning.

Emergency crews responded to the scene just after 5 a.m. at 35 Shoreham Drive near Jane Street and Steeles Avenue West in the city’s Black Creek neighbourhood.

Toronto Fire Services said they arrived and discovered heavy smoke coming from the 8th floor.

Firefighters located a woman in her 60’s inside a suite and was brought down for treatment. Toronto Paramedics confirm she was pronounced dead at the scene.

“After making entry in the suite on the 8th floor, they located one patient inside the suite,” Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said. “She was very quickly removed and transferred to the care of Toronto Paramedics. Unfortunately she has succumbed to her injuries.”

Pegg said two other people came out of the building with minor smoke inhalation. Both were treated at the scene and released.

There’s no word yet on the cause of the fire or the estimated cost of the damage.

Pegg said the building, which is operated by Toronto Community Housing, was fully inspected this year.

“Any time there is a fire, we also conduct a full Ontario Fire Code inspection of the building afterwards,” Pegg said. “We’ll look at all aspects of code compliance and determine whether or not there were any issues that may have contributed to the fire.”

The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal has been notified.