1 person dead in North York encampment fire
Posted July 3, 2025 6:51 am.
Last Updated July 3, 2025 7:05 pm.
Toronto paramedics say one person has died after an encampment fire in North York that has been extinguished.
Toronto fire crews and officers responded to the fire around 4 a.m. at 4 Credit Union Drive, in the Eglinton Avenue East and Victoria Park Avenue area.
Fire Chief Jim Jessop says crews saw flames going up almost 40 feet in the air, and a number of propane tanks and compressed gas cylinders had exploded.
“It is quite the setup down there,” said Jessop, noting that the structures were “significant” and had been there for years.
“There were numerous structures down in that valley that were constructed of wood, that were covered in cardboard …numerous compressed gas cylinders, numerous propane tanks. In fact, one of the structures had a wood stove built into it.”
Jessop says that Toronto Fire officials had been to the encampment before to promote fire safety.
No details of the person who has died have been released at this time, and no other injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The president of the nearby Latvian Community Centre says his organization has been asking the city for help with the encampment for years.
“It’s unfortunate that it took the loss of life before we had all this attention,” said Lionel Zondo, who added that last week a staff member was verbally assaulted by someone living at the encampment.
“We have been trying for a number of years now to try and get assistance for the folks down there in order for them to be relocated or rehoused in some capacity.”
Recent provincial legislation gives cities like Toronto the power to clear encampments, but housing advocates warn that’s not the solution.
“In this case, it’s absolutely tragic that somebody died. The services that they needed clearly were not available. Somebody is not choosing to live in an encampment outdoors; they simply need housing – the right kind of housing,” said Diana Chan McNally, a front-line community worker and homelessness advocate.
The local city councillor says it isn’t that simple.
“I think city staff in this case did all they could. The fire department was there, trying to give them safety tips, doing all the things they could do. I don’t know what you can do more than that. You can move someone out of a location in the ravine, and then they just move to another location in the ravine,” said Don Valley East Coun. Jon Burnside.
Toronto police are also investigating to determine if criminal charges may be laid in connection with the death.
