Blaze forces hundreds to evacuate
As many as 1,500 people had to find a place to sleep Tuesday night after a six-alarm fire blazed through a downtown highrise for at least six hours, eventually forcing the evacuation of the entire building.
One hundred firefighters and 26 fire trucks were dispatched to 650 Parliament St., south of Bloor St. E., shortly after 1 p.m. At roughly 9:15 p.m., fire Chief Matthew Pegg confirmed the blaze had been extinguished.
The remaining smoke had also been cleared, Mayor John Tory and Pegg told reporters at nearby Wellesley Community Centre.
The community centre was set up as an emergency shelter on Tuesday.
Pegg said the fire significantly damaged the St. James Town building and that essential services were not functioning, forcing the evacuation of several hundred remaining residents. “There are no lights, there are no fire protection services and there is no elevator service,” Pegg said.
The building contains about 570 units, he said. The mayor estimated up to 1,500 people were displaced, but said it could be closer to 1,200 or 1,300.
He said some residents had already found places to stay, with relatives or friends.
“One of the things we have said to residents is we will have accommodation for everyone tonight, whether it’s in a hotel, an Airbnb, some kind of donation accommodation or a community facility,” Tory said.
No serious injuries were reported. “I’m so proud of all the work our first responders did today,” Pegg said.
The Red Cross has equipped the Wellesley Community Centre shelter with food and mats for children to sleep on, Tory said. And he noted people would be provided with transportation to other facilities.
The city is asking people who are able to help with accommodation needs to email gtaresponse@redcross.ca.
According to police, the fire started in an electrical box. Pegg said it may take several days until damage is repaired.