Insulation ignites within 2 Toronto highrise buildings, hundreds displaced

Toronto Fire Services say they are dealing with a “complex fire” after two apartment buildings were forced to evacuate when crews discovered burning insulation and high levels of carbon monoxide.

Crews were first called to the highrise apartment building on 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr., on Thursday at around 1:30 p.m., where they found “light smoke” throughout multiple floors of the building. The fire then spread to another adjacent building on 21 Overlea Blvd.

Residents from 408 units in the two buildings affected were forced to evacuate.

“What we thought would have been a normal fire for us to put out has turned out to be one of the more complex fire situations we have had in a long time in this city,” said fire Chief Jim Jessop in an update to reporters on Friday morning.

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Jessop said there is insulation that was ignited and is “slowly” burning within the walls of both apartment buildings. This has caused “high levels of carbon monoxide” throughout the buildings “because of the incomplete combustion.”

“What we have discovered is the insulation is between the buildings and between the walls,” Jessop said. “This has to be a very meticulous, methodical and systematic approach. The firefighters can’t just start cutting into walls and roofs of highrise buildings, given gas lines, given hydro power lines. So, we have been making very calculated cuts.”

He said the key challenge is “it is extremely difficult to locate the scene of the fire.” He said what has happened throughout the night and into the morning is that the fire continues to spread behind the walls throughout the buildings because of the insulation.

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Jessop added that at the height of the fire, crews measured 850 parts per million in their readings for carbon monoxide, an acutely dangerous and life-threatening level.

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City officials said residents needing shelter have been moved from a hub to hotels. The Red Cross is assisting in the situation, and officials said they have arranged for 70 hotel rooms housing 114 of the displaced residents.

The exact number of residents among the buildings is unknown but officials are aware of 408 units that are affected due to the fire.

Jessop said he expects it to be a “prolonged event.” There is no estimated time for getting the fire under control.

He would not speculate or elaborate on the cause of the fire, calling it too early in the investigation.