One person dead after fatal fire in Toronto’s west end

One person has been pronounced dead after a fatal fire in the Bloor West and Dundas West Streets area on Wednesday afternoon.

FIRE:
Bloor St W & Dundas St W
2:10 pm
– reports fire in a 2 storey building on the 2nd floor
– police o/s
– @Toronto_Fire advised working fire
– no reports of injuries
– E/B Bloor St W blocked at Alhambra Ave
– S/B Dundas St W blocked I/F of subway
– expect delays#GO1301105
^sc

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) June 7, 2023

Emergency crews arrived on the scene at approximately 2:10 p.m. after reports of a fire in a residential unit on the second floor of a commercial building at 1554 Bloor Street West.

Fire officials say the situation was raised to a second alarm due to the flames and smoke coming from the building.

“This was a very complex fire with a very complex building,” said Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop. “They made entry very, very quickly in high heat and smoky conditions conducting the primary search.”

Jessop said it was during that search that the victim was found inside the building and later pronounced dead.

The Office of the Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate the origin, cause and circumstances of the fire.