12 people hospitalized following 3-alarm downtown highrise fire

As many as 12 people were hospitalized following a 3-alarm fire at a Toronto Community Housing building in Cabbagetown on Saturday.

Fire officials say they were called to 275 Bleecker Street just after 10:30 a.m. for reports of flames coming from the sixth floor of the building.

Fire Chief Jim Jessop says crews were met with heavy smoke and flame as they “battled their way down the hallway” to try and extinguish the blaze. He added the heat from the fire was so intense that it melted the helmets of several firefighters.

Firefighters also managed to rescue several people trapped on balconies using aerial ladders due to the smoke in the building.

“This was a very significant fire,” explained Jessop. “Not only were we fighting the fire, we were performing multiple exterior rescues as well as interior rescues, while at the same time starting to ventilate smoke and then concurrently responding to numerous 911 calls from people that were in their units where smoke was migrating in.”

Twelve people were eventually taken to hospital – five police officers and seven residents, many of them treated for smoke inhalation.

“I spoke to the head of the Toronto community housing, every tenant that is evacuated will be housed and will be fed,” Mayor Olivia Chow said, adding building houses more than 300 people.

“The damage was severe on the sixth floor, you see the char and building smoke. I am very grateful, these firefighters got here so fast and attacked it so aggressively.

Fire officials say an investigation will determine the origin and cause of the blaze.