A man died after a fire broke out in an apartment on the eastern edge of the city on Saturday morning.
Fire crews responded to a fire in an apartment building on Victoria Park Avenue, near O’Connor Drive, around 8:10 a.m.
The crews said the fire was in a block on the eighth floor.
When the crews arrived on the scene, they were greeted with heavy smoke and had to enter the unit.
“Our crews carried out their main search very quickly and put out the fire, and unfortunately during the initial search we found an occupant who had apparently died,” said Toronto Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop at the scene.
The victim’s identity has not been revealed, but neighbors told CP24 that the woman lived alone in the ward.
Authorities said the fire was put out quickly and no other parts were damaged.
Jessup noted that nearby fire alarms had been turned on to alert nearby residents.
A neighbor, who identified himself as Larry, lived three doors down the block and said he saw heavy smoke in the hallway as he evacuated the building.
“The alarm went off, opened the door and then I saw smoke, so I went downstairs because it’s right at the end,” he said. “Smoke alone was bad.”
Jessup said the heavy smoke caused more damage to the block than the actual fire.
“The smoke was significant, severe smoke conditions that began to migrate through the building. So our teams did a great job, you know, by ventilating it and making sure it didn’t pollute the rest of the building, “he said.
The Ontario Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate the cause of the fire.
On behalf of all of us at @Toronto_Fire, I extend my deepest condolences to family, friends and all those affected by the fatal fire this morning on Victoria Park Avenue. An investigation into the origin, cause and circumstances is underway with @ONFireMarshal @TorontoPolice
– Matthew Peg (@ChiefPeggTFS) May 28, 2022
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