Fire crews battled a five-alarm fire at a high-rise complex on Thorncliffe Park Drive near Overlea Boulevard in East York, which displaced residents due to concerns over high carbon monoxide levels.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 11 Thorncliffe Park Drive at around 1:36 p.m. on Thursday.
Early indications point towards an electrical fire that started on the P1 (parking) level and spread to the interior wall.
In an evening update, Toronto Fire Commander Robert Hewson said the fire began spreading through the wall’s insulation, with smoke migrating to a neighbouring building at 21 Overlea Drive.
“There is insulation burning in between the walls,” he said. “It’s a very stubborn and slow fire.”
Toronto Hydro shut down power and gas to the two buildings, and TTC buses were summoned to provide temporary shelter for affected residents.
Hewson said high carbon monoxide levels were detected in both buildings, prompting evacuations on several floors.
Seventy units were evacuated as a precaution, he said.
“It is producing some CO (carbon monoxide) levels that we are cautious with for tenants … so we have brought (those) tenants down and they are sheltering on TTC buses. We are working on extinguishing the fire and CO-levels are going down currently.”
