A four-alarm fire has caused major damage to an adult education centre in the Toronto‘s east end.
Officials said emergency crews were called to the Jones Avenue Adult Centre, located on Jones Avenue south of Danforth Avenue, just before 5 p.m. on Monday. Flames could be seen shooting up into the air from the third floor of the building.
“This is a very challenging fire for our crews. There is very, very heavy smoke emanating and there are flames coming through the roof, which creates some additional hazards for our crews,” Toronto Fire Services Chief Matthew Pegg told reporters early Monday evening.
“We’ve got a complicated operation that’s going to go for an extended period of time.”
Officials said seven people were working on the roof when the fire ignited. They were all able to get down uninjured.
“We actually rescued them off the roof with an aerial ladder,” Pegg said.
WATCH: Teachers devastated by damage at east-end Toronto adult learning centre ravaged by fire. Caryn Lieberman reports.
Pegg said there were no reports of injuries and noted firefighters didn’t find anyone inside the school.
The Toronto District School Board said in an update on Twitter that the school will be closed “until further notice.”
The fire happened hours after a smaller-scale fire at York Memorial Collegiate Institute in the city’s west end. There were no injuries in that fire.
Road closures were put in place in the immediate area. The TTC said the 83 Jones bus route was put on a detour.