Five Alarm Fire Destroys Popular Yorkville Restaurant
Posted December 13, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
But on Wednesday, it became just a hot spot period.
A fire that started in the kitchen has laid waste to Sassafraz, a landmark restaurant on Cumberland St. in Yorkville.
The blaze broke out around 11:20am Wednesday, just as the lunch crowd was gathering at the popular diner. What started as a small fire quickly spread, growing to a three-alarm emergency before escalating to a full five-alarm conflagration.
At the height of the blaze, there were 29 vehicles and at least 135 firefighters on scene, trying to put it out. By mid-afternoon, the thick black smoke that was billowing out of the building was gone, replaced by smouldering ruins.
The age of the structure helped it spread quickly. “We just started from the kitchen, and within one minute I saw it was flaming pretty vastly,” explains Sajel Banij who worked at the eatery.
He joined other employees and customers in rushing from the famed hangout to safety, one of the main reasons there were no injuries despite the massive destruction.
It gave firefighters a lot of trouble because the blaze spread to the walls and crews couldn’t reach it.
“The building is built just after the turn of the century. Numerous additions. Somewhat cut up,” outlines Chief Bill Stewart. “Two to three layers of drywall or plaster in there so you can get fire in between the ceiling joists.”
It took hours before they finally knocked it down, forcing firefighters to chop away part of the roof to get to the flames burning in the attic.
John Hainey was working on a construction crew on the 17 th floor of a building next door when what started as a small flame burst into an inferno.
“What we first saw was some black smoke coming up through the exhaust vents from the kitchen, and we saw some flames so we immediately called 911,” he remembers.
He took pictures of the emergency as it unfolded and submitted them to CityNews‘ “It’s Your Story” contest. To see them, click here.
Traffic was also a casualty of the fire. Crews were forced to close Bay and Avenue Road north all the way up to Bloor for most of the afternoon, so they could get their hoses to the scene without cars running over them.
Sassafraz became famous during the Toronto International Film Festival as a place where Hollywood’s elite came to dine and attend galas.
Customers gathered there on Wednesday for a different reason, to watch as the flames ate away at a business filled with cherished memories.
“Enjoyed it,” a glum Jacques Bendavid recalls. “It’s a wonderful restaurant. It’s a shame.”
Damage is estimated at $2.5 million but it’s too soon to know if the diner can be rebuilt. There are indications it may have to be completely gutted.
To see a photo gallery of some images from the scene sent in by our viewers, click the thumbnails below.
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