Junction storage facility fire continues to burn

Demolition has begun at a self-storage facility in the Junction that went up in flames around 6:15 a.m. Monday.

Crews have been working around the clock at Save and Secure on the corner of Pelham Avenue and Osler Street near Dundas and Dupont. They were twice forced out of the building over the last two days, once after a firefighter fell through concrete flooring that had weakened. His injuries were minor.

After battling a series of flare-ups Tuesday evening, crews begun demolition, removing chunks near the roof that have been deemed unsafe.

“The fire, what is does is loosens up all the mortars. So the bricks are just sitting on top of each other. And with the floors all caved in, it’s put lots of stress and pressure against the walls,” said Don of Brook Restoration.

Firefighters remain on scene to combat remaining hot spots.  Fire officials will meet with engineers Wednesday to determine how much of the building will need to come down.

Meanwhile, firefighters have been playing a patient waiting game with the once-raging blaze.

“We’re going to have building engineers on site … to see if we can be more aggressive. Right now, we’re erring on the side of caution. No one’s going inside,” Toronto fire division commander Mike McCoy said Tuesday morning.

“Access to the debris that’s actually burning, or the contents, is very difficult. We make access when we can. We’re really dependent on the circumstances and the fire when it shows itself.”

McCoy said “just about everything you can imagine” is stored inside the facility. Crews have so far seen major appliances, tires and children’s toys.

“It should be pretty evident that anything in there has probably been compromised. Not a lot, I would think, would be salvageable,” he said.

Firefighters faced several challenges during the five-alarm response, including concerns of the possible collapse of the four-storey building.

The facility had sprinklers but Toronto Fire district chief Stephan Powell wasn’t sure Monday if they were working.

Crews have also faced access challenges and had to use saws to cut through steel doors, but the greatest challenges may be the unknown as firefighters still have no idea exactly what materials are burning in the building behind locked storage unit doors.

A damage estimate is already pegged at about $1 million.

Osler remains closed in the area. GO trains were suspended temporarily but resumed later Monday. Service was normal Tuesday. There may be some delays, though, on the Kitchener line.

Some homes on Pelham were evacuated Monday, as was the nearby Catholic elementary school St. Josaphat. Those evacuations continued Tuesday, but residents were expected to be allowed back into their homes later Tuesday. St. Josaphat students were sent to nearby St. Luigi Catholic school on Ruskin Avenue.

The school later announced that classes would resume normally on Wednesday.

“Clean up and ventilation of the facility has been completed, and air quality testing has confirmed that the school is safe for occupation,” the school said in a release.

Did you lose something in the fire at Save and Secure storage? Or, do you know someone who did? We’d like to hear from you.

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