Crews fighting fire at 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr., in same part of building that smouldered for weeks in 2025

In November 2025 a fire broke out in the narrow space between adjoining condo complexes at 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr. and 21 Overlea Blvd., slowly burning for weeks while displaced residents found new accommodations and perplexed fire crews struggled to solve the smouldering riddle.

On Monday, it was déjà vu all over again after a three-alarm fire broke out in the same part of the same complex, prompting 20 fire trucks and 100 firefighters to descend on the scene. But as Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop explained, this time there’s been no wide-scale evacuation orders.

Jessop said changes made after the first fire, which broke out on November 27, 2025, have so far prevented carbon monoxide from spreading throughout the buildings.

Jessop said for now, a shelter in place order has been issued.

Arrangements are being made for residents that have chosen to leave on their own, Jessop added, and TTC buses are on scene to provide temporary shelter.

“You are safe right now,” Jessop told residents. “As part of the rehabilitation from the previous fire, the building’s owner and their engineering team hoarded off and basically isolated the area in question on both sides of the buildings.

“That is why right now the only areas where we have smoke and carbon monoxide is in that enclosed area. That is why we’ve been able to keep everyone in their condos safely, but we are still continuing to monitor.”

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Crews attended 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr., at around 11:43 a.m. Monday morning after someone made a 911 call reporting smoke.

Jessop confirmed the fire “is in the same expansion joint that we had the fire in just before Christmas in 2025.”

In that instance, the fire slowly burned for weeks before it was finally declared extinguished on Dec. 15, 2025.

Hundreds of residents were displaced by the 2025 fire — a fact not lost on Jessop.

“I absolutely have the utmost sympathy and my thoughts are really with the residents right now,” the fire chief said.

Jessop assured residents that continual air monitoring is taking place.

An investigation into what caused Monday’s fire is already underway, he added.

But just as the first fire posed unique problems that elongated firefighting efforts, Jessop conceded that he can’t say for sure when this fire will be doused.

“The operation will continue until Toronto Fire Service is satisfied that the fire is completely extinguished,” he said.

“I cannot give you a timeframe for that at this point.” 

Toronto Fire charged construction company, condo corporation with fire code violations in 2025 fire

In March 2026, Toronto Fire Services (TFS) charged a construction company, the condo corporation and the property management company with violations of the fire code in connection to the weeks-long 2025 fire.

Chief Jessop said at the time that a rigorous investigation found that construction activities were being undertaken at 11 Thorncliffe Park Drive and ignition sources were used near combustible materials, causing the fire.

Jessop added that Toronto Fire was not notified about the fire until over 30 minutes after it started.

As a result, PFC Construction Inc. was hit with multiple Ontario Fire Code charges including failing to protect combustible ignition sources during hot surface applications, failing to conduct fire watch and ensure a fire warning is sounded to alert occupant and notify the fire department, and failing to provide portable fire extinguishers when conducting hot surface applications.

The condo corporation associated with 11 Thorncliffe Park Drive, Metropolitan Toronto Condominium Corporation 956, and their property management company, Dell Property Management Inc., also faced a fire code violation charge of failing to implement the building’s fire safety plan.

The plan includes contacting the fire department upon activation of the building’s fire alarm system.