1 person dead after 2-alarm apartment fire in Scarborough
One person is dead, and five others are seriously injured after a fire broke out at a Toronto Community Housing highrise in Scarborough on Saturday afternoon.
Toronto Fire said crews responded to a two-alarm fire in a unit on the 5th floor of an apartment building in the area of Kingston Road and Lawrence Avenue East shortly before 3:30 p.m.
When crews arrived, they were met with heavy smoke. A CP24 viewer tweeted a video showing black smoke billowing out of the building.
"Our crews made very quick entry into the building both for search and rescue and interior attack operations. They were able to very quickly control the fire and then had to deal with the migration and smoke issues," said Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg.
During the search and rescue, a number of residents were located inside the building, and one of them was pronounced dead, Pegg said.
"On behalf of all of us at Toronto Fire Services and, of course, Toronto Police, we extend our most sincere condolences to the friends, the family and all those impacted by this terrible loss at this tragic fire."
While Pegg said there were four other injured residents who needed to be hospitalized, Toronto paramedics told CP24 that they transported a total of five people.
One of them, a woman in her 60s, has life-threatening injuries. The four others, including a man in his 60s and two women in their 60s, are in serious condition.
"The fire has now been extinguished. Our crews are continuing to work on the scene," Pegg said.
The cause, origin and circumstances of the fire are unknown.
"Far too early for us to tell. We won't speculate on that. That investigation will continue in due course," Pegg said.
When asked if the person who died was an occupant of the unit where the fire was, the fire chief said he didn't have that information.
"The status of all of the occupants and the circumstances that lead and contributed to this tragic fatal fire will, of course, form part of the investigation," Pegg said.
Toronto Fire investigators and Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal have been notified.
Firefighters are on the scene of a two-alarm fire that broke out in a unit at an apartment building near Kingston Road and Lawrence Avenue East. (Simon Sheehan/CP24)
Pegg noted that the building was a subject of a routine fire code inspection last month.
"That’s standard process for us. Toronto Fire Services inspects all high rise, residential buildings and all Toronto Community Housing buildings at least once a year," he said. "There were no significant issues and no issues with the fire code, which is good. But, of course, all of that work will also be included in the investigation."
The fire displaced an unknown number of residents. Pegg said Toronto Community Housing and the Toronto Transit Agency had made arrangements for emergency shelter.
Several TTC buses are on the scene to temporarily house the affected residents.
"For those that are displaced from the building here today, it's going to be some time until we can sort through what'swhat's happened here," Toronto police Duty Insp. Jason Albanese said. "So we ask for patience and your understanding until we unravel what's happened here."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard found not guilty of sexual assault
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
Police arrest Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
Missing B.C. climber died from fall on Mount Baker, medical examiner says
The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.
Following child's death in Ontario, here's what you need to know about rabies and bats
An Ontario child died last month after coming into contact with a rabid bat in their bedroom, which was the first known human rabies case in Canada since 2019.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Anne Hathaway confirms 'Princess Diaries 3': 'Miracles happen'
You might be thinking, 'Shut up!' but it’s officially true: the 'Princess Diaries' franchise is finally growing.
Youth pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of P.E.I. teen Tyson MacDonald
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Sask. man pleads guilty in U.S. after unknowingly providing videos of men raping toddlers to FBI agent
A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.