No injuries after 2-alarm Kensington Market rowhouse fire
Posted August 27, 2015 7:44 am.
Last Updated August 27, 2015 6:38 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Fire officials are investigating the cause of a two-alarm fire that ripped through a stretch of rowhouses in Kensington Market early on Thursday morning.
The fire broke out at a rowhouse on Kensington Avenue near Dundas Street West and Spadina just before 6 a.m. The flames then spread to neighbouring units through the attic.
The flames were on the second and third floor, mostly at the back of the home. A chemical smell was also reported in the area.
Police told 680 NEWS the residents in the rowhomes have been accounted for.
The property has been on the city’s radar since 2014 when a Municipal Licensing and Standards investigation was launched to determine if it was being used as an illegal rooming house.
Mark Sraga, director of investigations, told CityNews the probe stalled when they were unable to contact the owner to gain access. It was then referred to Toronto Fire.
Toronto Fire examined the property a few weeks ago and determined it wasn’t being used as a rooming house.
The fire is now out but several of the historic homes were damaged. Using axes and chainsaws, firefighters had to cut through roofs and walls to tackle the flames.
Meanwhile, firefighters were called to a high-rise apartment on Bleecker Street, near Wellesley and Sherbourne streets, around 7 a.m.
Paramedics told 680 NEWS two people were taken to hospital to be treated for serious smoke inhalation. Another person was treated for minor smoke inhalation.
The extent of the damage is not yet known.
