An active fire at two Toronto apartment buildings is being called one of the “most complex” situations in the city’s history, said fire Chief Jim Jessop.
Crews are still on scene, with over 77 firetrucks rotating shifts overnight, after a fire was discovered Thursday afternoon at 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr. and 21 Overlea Blvd., said Jessop at a news conference Friday morning.
He said insulation was slowly burning in the walls and between the two buildings, which has led to smoke and high levels of carbon monoxide.
“This is going to be a prolonged event … every time we thought we had it under control, it came back up,” said Jessop, adding residents of both buildings have been evacuated.
“This is certainly probably the most challenging fire to extinguish that Toronto has seen in years."
He said it was unclear how long it might take to extinguish the fire.
“This could end in 12 hours, this could end in a number of days. We don't know at this point,” he said.
The city is planning to hold another news conference to update the ongoing situation at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Fire crews have had to take a “meticulous and methodical” approach to the fire, Jessop said Friday morning, by making “calculated cuts” into the walls to apply foam and water.
The situation has been made more difficult due to the challenge of avoiding damage to hydro and power lines, he said, as well as the challenge of locating “the seat of the fire."
“What I will say is we will be here until the fire is out and then we will be here no less than 24 hours after the fire is out before we let anyone back in the building,” said Jessop.
An investigation into what caused the fire will take place after it has been extinguished, he said.
She said the city’s priority is in ensuring the safety of all residents in the area.
“My heart goes out to all the residents that had to leave their homes last night. We're here for you. You are not alone,” she said.
The Canadian Red Cross also attended the scene to assist in finding accommodations for displaced residents, said Joanna Beaven-Desjardins, executive director of Toronto Emergency Management.
She said approximately 70 hotel rooms were arranged for about 114 people.
Other residents of the buildings are encouraged to reach out to the Red Cross to be provided with housing support.
'Thankful that we're alive': resident
Residents were told to evacuate around 6:15 p.m. Thursday evening while fire crews were still looking for the source of the fire, said resident Paul Balabanowicz.
He said he's currently booked in to stay at a nearby hotel with his wife for three nights "just in case."
"It is a pain in the butt to move, but at least we have the opportunity to move," he said.
His wife, Pauline Balabanowicz, said while their unit had no smoke, firefighters said carbon dioxide levels were high.
The unit across the hall however had so much smoke that "you couldn't even see your hand," she said.
"We're just thankful that we're alive. It could have been worse," she said.
Resident Joan Fotopoulos said she's lived in the building for over 30 years. She said her family left for a hotel once they started to smell smoke throughout their unit.
"No one got hurt, no one got injured. Sometimes bad things happen in life, so it's important that you keep a positive perspective," she said, adding first responders were attentive and checked in on residents who weren't feeling well.