Residents of a west Toronto residence could be in the dark for a “number of days” after the electrical system at their apartment building caught fire late Sunday afternoon and was significantly damaged.
On Monday, Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop provided an update on the situation stating that while it is expected that the majority of the fire and life systems at 357 Rusholme Rd. could be operational by early this evening, the timeline for when the Electrical Safety Authority and the building's electricians will restore in-suite power and other building services like elevators and running water remains unclear.
Power and lighting in hallways and common areas was restored shortly before 6 p.m. on Monday.
Jessop noted that Toronto Fire Services has been on hand since the fire broke out, conducting fire watch as well as doing hourly welfare checks on residents, especially those with special needs and mobility challenges.
Noting that situations like this can be “very fluid and dynamic” and that information can change hour by hour, Jessop said that they’ve been monitoring the building’s air quality and there are “no concerns whatsoever” for tenants.
“We have lit the stairwells up with our lighting and our portable generators and we have done our best to make sure that the residents are safe,” he said.
“The building owner has been extremely cooperative as well and has brought in security personnel and set up an information centre where information is being provided to tenants including water and I know there are some other amenities on their way.”
On Sunday, shortly after 2 p.m., a smoky fire broke out at the 16-storey apartment building near Bloor Street West and Dovercourt Road.
“TFS was met with a serious electrical fire throughout the building that was generating and producing a large volume and quantity of smoke. The fire was quickly escalated up, and at its height, we were operating at a fifth alarm,” Jessop told reporters at the scene on Sunday.
No injuries have been reported, although one firefighter did become overwhelmed by the extreme heat, he said, and was taken to the hospital, he said.
Toronto Fire Services along with the Office of the Fire Marshall are now in the process of determining the cause, origin, and circumstances of this fire.
With files from CP24's Jordan Fleguel and CTV News Toronto's Abby O'Brien.
