Man dies in hospital after being pulled from Toronto house fire
A man has died in hospital after being pulled from a fire that ripped through a home in North York early Saturday morning.
Shortly before 7:30 a.m., Toronto fire responded to a blaze at a house at 14 Calais Avenue, near Lexfield Avenue and Richard Clark Drive.
The fire appears to have started in the basement.
“They arrived to discover what we call a working fire. So the presence of smoke and flames. First priority, always, for the crews is to get in and conduct search and rescue,” Fire Chief Matthew Pegg told CP24 at the scene.
During their search, crews located a man in the basement who was subsequently removed from the home.
The man, who is 61 years old, was rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition but was pronounced deceased in hospital shortly after, Pegg said.
“First and foremost, we extend our very sincere condolences to the family, friends and all those impacted by this tragic fire.”
It appears only one person was in the home at the time of the fire, according to Pegg.
A neighbour in the area, who identified himself as Jake, said he saw an unconscious man being pulled out of the house.
"There was six firemen who was carrying him out of the smoky house," he told CP24.
"There's a door on the side of the house, most of the smoke was coming from that door. But there was also some smoke coming out of the main door," he added.
The fire is now under control and crews are on scene checking for hotspots.
The fire was upgraded to a third alarm at its peak with roughly 70 firefighters attending the scene.
“So we technically went to a third. It's what I would describe as a precautionary third alarm operated predominantly at a second alarm level but the incident commander, appropriately so, escalated to a third alarm just to make sure that we have enough people,” Pegg said.
The cause and origin of the fire is unknown.
Pegg said today’s humid weather made it difficult to put out the blaze.
“Operating in this type of temperature and humidity is really, really hard on firefighters who are in their protective equipment. So there's a lot of extra attention that is paid to them by our rehab specialists and our colleagues at Toronto Paramedic Services to make sure that body core temperatures are safe and that everyone is safe and accounted for.”
An investigation is underway and the Office of the Fire Marshal has been notified.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Manitoba mom praises quick-thinking fire department for freeing daughter stuck in playground equipment
A Manitoba mother is praising firefighters for their quick work in helping her daughter who got stuck at a playground in Lorette, Man.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.