A woman died and a man was badly injured in a two-alarm house fire in the city’s west end on Wednesday evening.
A fire broke out just before 7 p.m. in a home on Gladstone Avenue, east of Dufferin Street.
The Toronto Fire Department’s Acting Chief Jim Jessop said crews arrived to discover a “very tough and deep-seated basement fire.”
Two persons without vital signs were recovered from the house, according to Jessop. One of the victims died at the spot, while the other was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
“Certainly, on behalf of all the women and men of Toronto Fire Service, I want to extend our deepest condolences to all of those impacted by this fatal fire,” he said.
“They were faced with significant fire load and significant heat. The fire actually burned up from the basement and burned away at the floor by the time our crews got here. And I can tell you they did everything they could to rescue these people. And it’s just another tragic situation.”
Jessop said several firefighters were assessed by paramedics after being overcome by heat. They have been deemed okay.
The fire has been knocked down. Jessop said crews will remain at the scene to conduct a fire watch and check for hot spots.
The cause and origin of the fire are not immediately known.
Jessop said Toronto Fire investigators will be attending the scene and the Office of the Fire Marshal has been notified.
Source_ globalnews.ca
