Firefighters were called to set fire to a commercial and residential mixed-use building at 615 College Street just before 1 p.m. Tim Algar, Squadron Leader of the Southern Toronto Fire Department, says between 80 and 100 firefighters were on the scene overnight. They managed to extinguish the flames until 3 in the morning “We think it may have started near the back of the building and with the winds that prevailed last night, it pushed all the heat [and] “smoke inside the building,” Algar said. “There were no injuries to the general public or to any of the firefighters, which is a blessing.” Tim Algar, Squadron Leader of the Southern Command, says 80 to 100 firefighters were on the scene overnight. They managed to extinguish the flames until 3 in the morning (Chris Mulligan / CBC)
Maddison Dearlove, one of the victims, said she was out of town when she received a call about the fire. “My cat was at home and so were my two roommates,” he said. The cat is missing now, he added. Dearlove says she ended her trip to Niagara Falls and returned to Toronto around 5am “The roof has fallen and we have significant damage to the water, so all our things … have disappeared completely,” he said. “I could only go in to look for the cat, mainly because it is like a living animal. “Also, my roommate has some pet frogs that we had to get out of, but unfortunately, there is nothing that can be saved in there.” Toronto Fire Chief Mattew Pegg, in a tweet Friday morning, thanked the crews for their swift action in extinguishing the fire. (Chris Mulligan / CBC)
Amr Elmazariky, owner of Tut’s Egyptian Street Food, says his restaurant, which opened its branch in Little Italy in October, suffered significant damage but escaped the worst. “They lowered all the roof, all the equipment. There is a lot of damage to the water, but there is no smoke or fire in the units,” Elmazariki said. “It’s very sad. We are very excited and looking forward to this particular branch in the summer because, you know, Little Italy in the summer and all that. I do not know how long it will take, but I hope not too long.” The owner of the business thanked the firefighters who reduced the fire and made sure everyone was safe. Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Peg, in a tweet on Friday morning, thanked the crews for their swift action in extinguishing the fire. The Toronto Fire Department and the Ontario Fire Department are now investigating the cause of the fire. We thank our crews @TPFFA – @ ChiefPeggTFS