Police are investigating a suspected arson in downtown Toronto after fire spread from a burning couch on the street and into a vacant apartment.
Toronto fire crews rushed to 206 Bathurst St., north of Queen Street, at about 5 a.m. and discovered the blaze had spread to a two-storey building containing apartments.
Crews quickly doused the blaze before it could spread to adjacent buildings.
No one was injured in the fire, but several people were evacuated from second-floor apartments.
“We were able to get out before the fire escalated too badly. We woke up our neighbours; luckily everyone got out fine,” tenant Rachael Welsh told CP24.
Capt. Stephan Powell said it appears the fire was started on purpose.
He said the fire appeared to start in a mound of garbage and a couch near the front of the building.
Several other small garbage fires were reported across the city in the last couple of days.
Powell said there was nothing to suggest they were related.
Passerby Terry Jansen said he spotted the fire as he was passing in a taxi and called 911. He then helped clear the second-floor of the building by pounding on doors and waking up residents.
