A man is being praised for his heroic action of saving a woman from a fire inside a downtown apartment building.
The fire broke out at a highrise apartment building in the area of Dundas and Sherbourne streets at around 9 a.m. on Monday. The fire has since been put out by Toronto Fire Services.
Two people were sent to hospital, one for smoke inhalation and the other one for severe burns.
At the height of the fire, more than 60 firefighters and citizens worked to ensure everyone made it out of the residential building safely.
One citizen, who has experience working as a volunteer firefighter, was able to knock down the door of the burning unit to rescue the woman inside.
Leo Meawasige told CTV News Toronto that he was standing outside across from the apartment building when he noticed the fire. He then immediately ran inside the building to the floor with the burning unit.
“When I found the hot door, the only thing I could do was hit the door handle and give the door the biggest kick I could possibly do to try to knock it right off the hinge,” he said.
“Once I got the door open I see the lady – I went in – I grabbed her and I pulled her out to the hallway and then I went to get the fire hose. I contained the fire to the unit so that it wasn’t coming out of the hallway.”
Meawasige then took the woman into the stairwell and asked her if there was anyone else inside the unit.
“All I could think about is what if there was a child in there. I have a four-year-old girl, that’s all I could think about was if there was a little girl or a little boy in there that’s going to devastate me for life. But, thankfully enough she was the only one inside the unit and I guess I did a good job,” he said.
At the scene, Mayor John Tory told CP24 that Meawasige’s actions are what he hopes all citizens would do in that situation.
“(Leo) went when he saw trouble and he immediately helped the woman, in this question who was right in the unit where the fire was and probably saved her life,” Tory said.
“Citizens have to be careful, but the instinct we all have is to help and I commend him and congratulate him.”
Three floors of the apartment building have been evacuated. There are currently TTC buses at the scene to provide shelter for the displaced residents.
Residents will be allowed to return to their units once crews complete the process of ventilating the building.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.
The intersection of Dundas and Sherbourne streets was closed in all directions following the fire.
