Residents still displaced as crews fight befuddling Thorncliffe Park blaze that’s ‘trapped between two walls’

More than 24 hours after they first arrived, Toronto Fire Services (TFS) crews remain on scene at 11 Thorncliffe Park Boulevard and 21 Overlea Boulevard battling what officials are calling one of the more complex fire situations the city has faced in recent years.

Crews were first called to the neighbouring complexes at around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

“We have been actively fighting a stubborn fire since then,” Robert Hewson, acting commander for Toronto Fire Services, said during an update Friday evening.

“Early on in the event we realized we had high levels of carbon monoxide throughout the building … we did evacuations of all units in the building.”

There’s no word when those displaced residents will be allowed back into their units, but Hewson said crews are making some progress battling a fire they can’t even see.

“We do not have eyes on the fire,” he confirmed. “It is behind walls.”

“It’s trapped between two walls of adjacent high-rises, so we only have limited access to apply water to the fire,” he added, explaining the characteristics of the befuddling blaze.

Hewson explained that since they can’t actually see the fire, officials are using measuring heat, smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) levels to track their progress.

“We have successfully lowered our CO-limit, which is positive news, and lowered our floor-to-floor temperatures in the last couple hours, so that is all positive.”

Fire fighters are also retrieving medicine and other crucial items for residents who are currently barred from entering due to safety concerns.

Earlier Friday, Fire Chief Jim Jessop said the decision to evacuate both towers was made late Thursday night, after consultation with the incident commander. He emphasized that evacuations are only ordered as a last resort, but the persistent carbon monoxide levels left no choice.

“Our primary focus is to never dehouse; that is only as a last-minute resort,” Jessop added.

Toronto Fire Services cannot provide a timeline for when residents will be allowed back inside. Crews will remain on site until the fire is fully extinguished and will stay for no less than 24 hours afterward to ensure carbon monoxide levels return to zero.

“We will be here until the fire is out,” Jessop said, giving thanks to first responders and city officials for their “unwavering support.”