Toronto police say they are searching for a suspect after a blaze that left two firefighters injured in the city’s downtown core last Saturday was deemed arson.
Officials said firefighters were called to the area of Jarvis and Shuter streets shortly before 2 a.m. for reports of a fire in the area.
When crews arrived on scene, they located a flames coming from an abandoned building and quickly deemed it a three-alarm fire.
Two firefighters fell off the roof of the building while battling the blaze, leaving one of them critically injured, officials said.
“The crews, as always, went into aggressive attack mode and unfortunately (with) the volume of smoke the firefighters did not see (where) they were stepping,” Deputy fire Chief Jim Jessop told reporters at the scene.
The fire was then upgraded to a four-alarm and the injured firefighters were rushed to St. Michael’s Hospital, which is not far from the scene.
The cause of the fire was initially unclear, but on Thursday police said the Office of the Fire Marshal is treating the incident as arson.
Investigators also released a suspect a composite sketch of a man wanted in connection with the fire.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5100 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.
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