Five-alarm fire causes Baldwin St. evacuation
Firefighters saw no sign of people trapped inside at popular downtown eatery
“There was smoke everywhere. The whole village was grey.” NICOLE QUACH
A five-alarm fire at a popular downtown Toronto restaurant forced the evacuation of several eateries and homes near Baldwin and McCaul Sts. on Friday afternoon.
Toronto Fire dispatched 44 trucks and 30 crews to Ryu’s Noodle Bar at 33 Baldwin St. to battle the raging blaze but it was declared under control and downgraded to a two-alarm by 4 p.m.
Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said the exact cause of the fire is not yet clear, but it seemed to have originated at that restaurant. Nobody was injured in the blaze, he said.
Tara Clews was in the middle of a busy shift at Vegetarian Haven restaurant, a few doors down from the fire, when she noticed the smell of smoke at about 1:30 p.m.
Soon after, she said, a “big sheet of smoke” flowed into the restaurant. Police and firefighters soon entered and told everybody to leave.
“It just happened really fast,” said Clews, calling it a frightening experience. Nicole Quach, who also works at Vegetarian Haven, said “there was smoke everywhere.”
“The whole village was grey,” she said.
The fire spread into 31 and 35 Baldwin St., which share a common roof structure and attic. Pegg said the shared attic made it easy for the flames to spread. Part of the fire broke through the roof and crews worked on aerial ladders and platforms to keep it contained.
Crews encountered significant smoke and fire when they arrived, Pegg said.
Firefighters were able to enter the building to search for any people left behind or trapped, but there was no sign of anyone inside, he said.
They did find a dog in the building and were able to escort it safely out, Pegg said.
The area was busy with visitors enjoying the warm weather. Many were eating lunch at restaurants across the street, watching the fire and taking pictures for 15 to 20 minutes be- fore they were forced to leave by fire officials.
Mary Anne Patterson said she parked to order some dim sum at the restaurant across the street from where the fire eventually broke out — but before her food was ready, the restaurant was evacuated and her car ended up trapped behind a fire truck.
She said the restaurant gave her two egg rolls on the way out the door.
Colleen Clarke was having lunch with a friend on the patio of a nearby restaurant when she noticed the smell of smoke — and then saw the fire crews.
Although people were slowly being evacuated from other buildings, Clarke said she and her friend continued to have lunch, “watching everything unfold.”
“It wasn’t until we actually finished our lunch that they said they have to leave,” Clarke said.
“And by then it was getting pretty chokey.”
Pegg said the warm weather that drew folks to the area made the job particularly tough for firefighters. Dealing with the high heat and humidity while wearing heavy gear amounts to a “snowsuit in summer,” he said.