Fire That Destroyed Three Homes Probed As Arson
Posted July 10, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The homes of three families are in disrepair, and arson appears to be behind the destructive blaze that ravaged the row of townhomes early Tuesday.
Cramped spaces combined with extreme heat, not just from the fire but from the already humid temperatures outside, made it difficult for firefighters to put out the flames. Crews were called to the area of Parliament and Carlton Sts. at about 1:15am Tuesday, where the fire had apparently started in a wooden crate under a car port before spreading to several decks.
The blaze crept up to the roof of that residence and quickly spread to the homes on either side.
“If I hadn’t wakened up from the noise … people could have died,” said resident Tracy Cornelissen. “It smelled like lighter fluid.”
Firefighters doused themselves with water to keep cool but the oppressive conditions made it difficult to stay focused on the task at hand. The challenges prompted officials to raise the status to four-alarm. The subsequent Fire Marshal’s investigation appeared to show that the fire was set on purpose. There’s no word on whether authorities have a suspect in mind.
“Right now it’s arson fire,” said Toronto Fire investigator Tom Hutton. “So we know that somebody set the fire.”
One firefighter hurt his hand and an area resident suffered smoke inhalation. Damage is estimated to be at $500,000.
