2 Thorncliffe Park condos evacuated ‘until further notice’ as crews work to extinguish 5-alarm fire: officials

Officials provided an update as well as city officials now saying hundreds of residents will remain evacuated into next week, with no timeline on a return home.

The residents of two high-rise condo buildings in Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood will be out of their homes “until further notice” as crews work to extinguish a still-active, five-alarm fire, officials say.

The blaze, described by Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop on Wednesday afternoon as “unprecedented and extremely challenging,” was first detected on Nov. 27 at around 1:30 p.m. in the P1 parking level at 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr. By that evening, it had spread to an adjoining building at 21 Overlea Blvd.

The buildings’ 408 units were evacuated later that afternoon after elevated and varying levels of carbon monoxide and smoke were recorded throughout.

At this time, the City of Toronto is providing 119 hotel rooms for 370 residents (from 173 households) as well as social services to all of the displaced occupants. The buildings’ remaining residents have been able to secure other accommodation.

Fire has ‘tested every resource’: chief

“We have never in the history of the Toronto Fire Service experienced a fire like this. I have spoken to colleagues across North America over the last number of days in metro-sized cities and they have never experienced a fire like this,” said Jessop, who said this situation has “tested every resource Toronto Fire Services has.”

The chief thanked all of the affected residents for their “patience and understanding during this very difficult time,” and also offered his gratitude to all of the firefighters and senior officers who have been on site 24/7 since the fire began.

During a news conference at Toronto City Hall, Jessop went on to say that this fire has been especially difficult to fight as it is burning deep inside a narrow gap where the two buildings meet.

“This space is so tight, between 25 and 50 millimeters, that firefighters cannot directly access it. Complicating matters further, this gap contains compressed wood material, which burns slowly, making progress extremely difficult,” said Jessop, who along with his senior operations team met with a group of multi-disciplinary engineers on Tuesday to consider “every possible option” to put out the fire.

What they’ve decided, he said, is to keep the buildings evacuated for at least another week and continue to carefully attack the fire by opening up walls where it is believed to be located.

“We understand this is hard to hear for those impacted. The recommended approach will cause significant damage to units adjoining the wall where the fire is burning, but this is necessary to eliminate the fire,” said Jessop.

“We want to be honest, there is absolutely going to be damage to the units, both from the fire and the smoke in the water, but also from our efforts to extinguish the fire.”

A city-wide response

Not just a fire department effort, Jessop said this situation has become a city-wide response that includes the support of multiple divisions.

“Our top priority remains clear: getting people back into their homes as soon as it is safe to do so,” he said.

Kamal Gogna, the City of Toronto’s acting chief building official and the executive director of Toronto Building, said their role is to help determine when it’s safe for residents to return to their unit, with support and assistance from professional engineers.

He said since the start of this response, city staff have been working closely with Toronto fire and emergency personnel to monitor conditions and review information as it becomes available.

“Over the past several days, engineers have been on site to carry out Initial investigations from areas that are safe to do so these early reviews will help guide more detailed and thorough investigations and evaluations, which can only be completed once firefighting operations have concluded,” he explained, adding while there are many questions about the material that is burning, it is premature for the city to comment on it at this time.

“More information will be provided and shared with you once the engineering assessments are complete.”

Return home a ‘phased approach’

Gogna said once the fire is fully doused, engineers will be able to complete their assessment, which will allow a plan to be created for when residents can return home safely.

“Based on what we know today, we expect that different parts of the building may be available for occupancy at different times, basically using a phased approach. We understand how stressful it is for residents to be away from their homes, especially during this time of the year, and we’re committed to sharing clear information as soon as assessments are completed and timelines for return to the units is available,” he said.

“We continue to work closely with property management teams for both buildings to ensure residents receive the latest updates as they become available.”

Toronto Emergency Management is also working to help connect the displaced residents with the social services they need and insurance providers so they can access additional living expenses coverage through condominium or renters’ insurance.

“We’re proud to play a strong supporter role in helping these residents navigate this difficult period and begin their recovery with confidence,” said Joanna Beaven-Desjardins, the division’s executive director, adding that the city is continuing to work closely with the Canadian Red Cross to ensure residents have access to emergency supports, including hotel accommodations, food, basic supplies, and financial top ups to help cover out-of-home costs.

Beaven-Desjardins also thanked The Neighbourhood Organization for supporting residents with wellness checks, personal support, and mental health services, and for distributing hot meals to seniors.

“Their support for these residents during this challenging time is greatly appreciated and has not gone unnoticed,” she said, urging residents to work closely with their insurance providers to determine what supports are available to them as part of their personal policies.

“We are continuing to reach out to the residents to verify their insurance status and understand their ongoing needs, and we will continue to work with the residents who have extenuating circumstances.”

No cost available yet for this effort

City officials could not say how much this emergency effort has cost so far, noting that the focus at this time is helping displaced residents access social services.

Toronto fire and police along with the City of Toronto as well as the boards of management from both condominiums will all be conducting their own thorough investigations into this fire before residents are permitted to return home.

Investigations will then be done to determine the cause, origin, and circumstances of this fire, officials said.

With files from CP24’s Bryann Aguilar