Power restored at Toronto apartment building 4 days after electrical fire

Anger 48 hours after fire knocked out power Tenants at a Toronto building say their concerns are being ignored after a major electrical fire knocked out power.

Power is back on at a west-end Toronto apartment building after a smoky 5-alarm electrical fire last weekend left residents in the dark.

In an update Thursday, the property management company behind 357 Rusholme Road, near Dovercourt Road and Bloor Street West, said electricity had been restored to all residential suites.

“With water service, common area lighting and all life-safety systems achieved earlier this week, the return of electrical power today completes our initial efforts to restore full building services to the property, following Sunday’s electrical fire.,” a spokesperson for Sterling Karamar Property Management told CTV News Toronto in a statement.

Emergency crews were called to the 16-storey apartment building shortly after 2 p.m. on Aug. 20.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they were met with what Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop described as a “serious electrical fire throughout the building.”

“The fire was quickly escalated up, and at its height, we were operating at a fifth alarm,” he told reporters following the incident.

The cause of the fire is still unknown at this time and currently under investigation.

No one was injured but a firefighter was transported to hospital following exposure to the extreme heat of the fire.

Because the electrical system is still being repaired, Sterling Karamar Property Management said the building is using external generators as a temporary solution to provide power.

“As a temporary solution, residents may experience sporadic service interruptions in the coming days, although we are doing our best to limit these challenges,” the spokesperson said.

Each unit is being provided with a $250 Walmart gift card for the “ongoing patience” of the residents and are expected to be distributed early next week, the building management company added.

With files from CP24's Joanna Lavoie