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
Robert Pickton to remain in medically induced coma until later this week: police
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
'Five feet nothing': Pickton's safety likely behind Quebec transfer, says ex-prison judge
When serial killer Robert Pickton was transferred from British Columbia's Kent Institution to a maximum security prison in Quebec about six years ago, correctional authorities gave no public explanation or confirmation at the time, citing privacy.
'I feel betrayed': Ottawa-area customers out thousands of dollars warn of bad faith contractor
A group of people from eastern Ontario and western Quebec is issuing a warning about Dennis Walker and his company Vue Windows.
Fancy pigeon outfitted in custom diaper has free rein in B.C. family home
When Chrissy Chin volunteered to take in a fancy pigeon abandoned on a park bench, she never imagined she would one day be ordering custom-made diapers for the bird – who lives in her house and has become a member of the family.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
5 dead and at least 35 hurt in Iowa tornado: officials
Five people died and at least 35 were hurt as powerful tornadoes ripped through Iowa Tuesday, with one carving a path of destruction through the town of Greenfield, officials said.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.