An overnight fire has again forced dozens of vulnerable tenants from their homes at a North York seniors residence, marking the second blaze at the same building in a matter of weeks. According to CBC News, the fire broke out at the Toronto community housing apartment, located near Eglinton Avenue, in the early hours of the morning, sending crews racing to the scene.
Firefighters arrived within minutes of the alarm to find dangerous conditions waiting for them. As they proceeded to the ninth floor, where there had been reports of smoke, they discovered the floor fully charged with thick black smoke and high heat, prompting what officials described as an aggressive fire attack to bring the flames under control. The blaze had broken out just before 2 a.m.
The human toll became clear as the response unfolded. Fire officials said five people were treated at the scene, and that two elderly women were taken to hospital, one of them with serious injuries. Many of the building's residents had been sheltering in place as crews worked, and several had to be treated for smoke inhalation before the situation was brought under control.
The damage has left a significant portion of the building unlivable. According to the Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation, which operates the property, about 18 units have been evacuated as a result of the fire, with Toronto fire officials describing severe damage that has rendered those units uninhabitable for the time being.
For those forced out, the disruption is expected to stretch on. Residents, particularly those on the affected ninth floor, have been told they will not be able to return home for at least a week, and the housing corporation said its staff were working to find temporary accommodations for everyone displaced by the blaze.
Questions have quickly turned to how the fire started. Officials said the cause remains unclear, but many residents believe it was set intentionally, with one recounting hearing that a mattress left by the elevator had been deliberately torched. Fire officials said they are aware of those claims and are looking into them as part of their investigation.
The incident has unsettled a community already on edge, as it is the second fire at the building in less than two weeks. Officials noted that one person died when a unit on the fourth floor caught fire on June 28, though they said they do not believe the two incidents are connected, leaving residents to grapple with a second emergency in their building in a short span of time.