Residents displaced as ‘complex fire’ burns for second day in two Toronto highrises

Toronto Fire Services provided a late day briefing Friday, saying crews have made “positive” progress on a complex Toronto fire, burning through two buildings, though the blaze remains active and extremely difficult to reach.

Robert Houston, acting division commander, said firefighters have been “actively fighting a stubborn fire” for more than 24 hours and that early on in the event they realized there were “high levels of carbon monoxide throughout the building.”

Residents from all 408 units in the two buildings affected were forced to evacuate, due to fear for life safety.

There have been no reported injuries, which officials are crediting to fast action to get everyone out of the buildings, prompted by rising carbon monoxide levels.

Houston said temperatures and carbon monoxide levels have “successfully lowered,” but warned that crews still “do not have eyes on the fire… just behind walls,” with teams relying on heat readings and air monitoring.

Houston confirmed “there is no timeline” for when residents can return, saying, “we just can’t see… we’re in the middle of trying to mitigate the situation.”

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City officials said residents needing shelter have been moved from a hub to hotels.

The Red Cross is assisting in the situation, and officials said they have arranged for 70 hotel rooms housing 114 of the displaced residents.

The exact number of residents among the buildings is unknown.

In a news conference Friday morning, Chief Jim Jessop added that at the height of the fire, crews measured 850 parts per million in their readings for carbon monoxide, an acutely dangerous and life-threatening level.

Jessop said he expects it to be a “prolonged event.” There is no estimated time for getting the fire under control.

He noted that once the fire is officially deemed under control, firefighters will stay an additional 24 hours to monitor and ensure there are no flareups.

Crews were first called to the highrise apartment building at 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr. on Thursday at around 1:30 p.m., where they found “light smoke” throughout multiple floors of the building.

The fire then spread to another adjacent building at 21 Overlea Blvd.

Jessop said there is insulation that was ignited and is “slowly” burning within the walls of both apartment buildings. This has caused “high levels of carbon monoxide” throughout the buildings “because of the incomplete combustion.”

Later in the update, local representatives thanked firefighters and agencies assisting residents. “The most important thing is that everybody in this community is safe,” a city official said, urging displaced residents to contact the Red Cross.