A man in his 40s was taken to a burn centre with serious injuries following a fire at a men’s shelter in downtown Toronto over the weekend, paramedics say.
The blaze broke out late Saturday night at Seaton House, the city’s largest shelter at 339 George St., near Jarvis and Gerrard streets.
Toronto Fire Services told CP24 that they were called to that address just after 11 p.m. for reports of a fire.
There, crews found a fire on the second floor in a dormitory area.
‘Quite a bit of smoke migration’
Sprinklers were activated and firefighters doused the fire.
“There was quite a bit of smoke migration that crews had to deal with,” a spokesperson told CP24.
One person was located with injuries and transferred to the care of Emergency Medical Services.
No other injuries were reported and none of the occupants were displaced, aside from to other parts of the building.
Crews did fire watch but have since cleared and the site has now been handed over to City of Toronto managers, the spokesperson said.
Toronto police told CP24 that they also received a call regarding the fire just after 11 p.m. They said an adult male was burned and transported to hospital. His injuries were deemed non-life threatening, Det. Const. Amy Davey said.
Victim sustained 2nd-degree burns: Moise
In post on Facebook, Toronto Centre Coun. Chris Moise said one person was treated at the scene by medics and taken to the hospital with second-degree burns, while approximately 95 others were relocated to other floors of the building.
The Ward 13 representative said fire was contained and extinguished, adding Toronto Fire Services ventilated the building and there is no further risk to residents or the public.
“One resident was treated on the scene by Emergency Medical Services and transported to hospital with second-degree burns. Approximately 95 residents were relocated to other floors of the building,” Moise wrote.
He went on to say that the fire is believed to have originated after a resident fell asleep on a bunk bed while in possession of a lighter torch.
“The fire resulted in damage to three mattresses: two remained within the dormitory, while a third was moved into the washroom across the hall, a circumstance that is believed to have contributed to the spread of smoke throughout the floor,” said Moise.
“I wish the resident a speedy recovery and thank TFS and EMS for their swift response.”
Seaton House is now in the process of being decommissioned and as part of a comprehensive long-term plan to revitalize the site.