Critically injured district fire chief in stable condition following 5-alarm fire in Etobicoke

A district fire chief who was critically injured at a five-alarm fire in a townhouse complex in Etobicoke on Thursday night is in stable condition, according to Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg.

Toronto fire said they got the call around 6:20 p.m. about a fire at Lakeshore Boulevard and Palace Pier Court.

Emergency services believe the fire started on one of the apartment’s balconies on the third floor and quickly spread from there.

Pegg said the injured district chief was part of the response team to the fire at 80 Marine Parade Drive and that, in the course of his duties, he “sustained some type of medical event,” and a “mayday circumstance was immediately deployed.”

WATCH: A Toronto firefighter who sustained a “medical event” while at a five alarm fire at a townhouse complex in Etobicoke, has been listed in “stable condition.”

8:45 Toronto firefighter injured at 5 alarm fire in ‘stable condition’

“When, at any point one of our personnel is injured or trapped or lost we immediately deploy into a mayday circumstance and that is exactly what happened here,” he said.

The circumstance focuses the attention of the command team on that situation while maintaining control of the incident taking place, it brings additional resources to the scene, and deploys fire crew to immediately go to work and provide patient care until paramedics can take over.

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Pegg said the injured firefighter received “exceptional and immediate care” by paramedics after being treated by Toronto Fire and was quickly transported to hospital.

WATCH: Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg provides update on 5-alarm Etobicoke fire

3:10 Firefighter sustains critical injury fighting five alarm fire: Toronto Fire Chief

“My deepest gratitude for our crews and amazing work and expertise by the paramedics and police,” he said.

All residents were evacuated. TTC buses arrived on scene to shelter those who were displaced.

The fire was originally reported as a two-alarm but was quickly upgraded to a five-alarm within an hour.

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Pegg told reporters at the scene that crew would continue to do “overhaul and containment,” and would be on scene for “quite some time.”

“They did a fantastic job suppressing this fire, dealing with this type of situation, and dealing with an injury to one of their own.”

He also said it was too early to comment about when residents might be allowed back into their homes.

Lakeshore Boulevard is closed from Park Lawn Road to Humber Bridge in both directions.

WATCH: Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said a firefighter received critical injuries as crews worked to put out a five alarm fire at a townhouse in Etobicoke Thursday evening. 

1:03 Firefighter taken to hospital with ‘critical’ injuries as crews contain five alarm fire in Etobicoke