Toronto firefighters knock down smoky three-alarm fire near Queen and Bathurst
A smoky three-alarm fire that broke out shortly before 6:30 a.m. at a three-storey residential/commercial property at 559 Queen St. W. is now out.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and were able to quickly knock down a portion of the fire, but Toronto Fire Services (TFS) said they initially had to deal with a “very dynamic situation” that caused "heavy smoke conditions."
Shortly before 10 a.m., Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop told CP24 that the fire, which spread to a second adjoining building, impacted a totoal of five units causing "significant fire and water damage."
A bus was brought in to shelter the displaced tenants/residents. The city's Office of Emergency management is assisting these individuals should they require temporary shelter, he said.
There are no reports of injuries, TFS said in a tweet. Crews did however rescue three people from the roof of one of the buildings.
Jessop said said firefighters are now in the overghaul stages and are working to ensure there are no remaining hot spots.
"The women and men did a fantastic job of containing the fire especially in these older buildings downtown," he said, noting many older buildings in the downtown core have common attics and basements and no firestopping measures.
Jessop also expressed his appreciation to the public.
"We really want to thank the citizens today for their patience with the interruption of TTC service during the morning rush. And our goal right now is to make sure that we have the TTC available, certainly for the afternoon rush," he said.
Motorists as well as transit users should note that the eastbound lanes of Queen Street West are currently blocked at Portland Street. Police are urging those affected to take an alternate route.
In the coming days, TFS's investigative team will be looking into the origin, cause, and circumstances of this fire.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.