A suspicious chemical odour led authorities to a suspected meth lab inside a home in one of the city's most sought-after neighbourhoods.

Toronto police closed off a block of Woburn Avenue near Avenue Road, located in Toronto's quiet Bedford Park community, while they investigated the duplex. The street address was 438 and 440 Woburn. The property is estimated to be worth about $800,000.

"This was a full methamphetamine lab," Staff Sgt. Jim Qualtrough of the Toronto Police drug squad told reporters on Wednesday.

"Right from the start of precursor stage into the process of making it into a finished product," he said.

"What is particularly disturbing in this case is this lab is right in the middle of a residential neighbourhood," said Staff Insp. Mario Di Tomaso. "Because of the volatile chemicals that are used, they are a great danger to neighbours."

The drug lab was discovered by firefighters after they received a call from a neighbour who smelled acetone in the air at around 2 a.m.

No one was inside the home at the time of the discovery.

Residents living on Woburn Avenue were temporarily evacuated as police officers in hazardous materials suits removed canisters of chemicals.

Neighbours expressed surprise such a thing would be happening in their neighbourhood, with one woman sadly noting there was a children's playground near by.

As of Wednesday evening, no arrests had been made.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Jim Junkin