Toronto devastated after fire destroys 60 year old barber shop

After more than 60 years of cutting hair on Bathurst Street, Corrado's Barber Shop is officially out of commission. 

The long-time staple was one of several buildings affected by a massive five-alarm blaze that broke out at Bathurst and Richmond this morning, leaving one person dead and another with serious injuries.

WATCH: The owner of the building where the fire started and his namesake barber shop next door has tears in his eyes as he watches them burn pic.twitter.com/Xu5G9EUm06

— NEWSTALK1010 (@NEWSTALK1010) March 4, 2019

Barbershop owner Corrado Accaputo was captured on camera today by Newstalk1010 in front of the building, watching with tears in his eyes as smoke engulfed his store. 

Accaputo has been cutting hair since he first came to Toronto from Italy in 1957, when he was 17 years-old.

In he last few minutes, flames busted through the roof of the unit next to where the fire started. Glass from the upper windows has been raining down onto the sidewalk pic.twitter.com/3ViZ1iFddV

— NEWSTALK1010 (@NEWSTALK1010) March 4, 2019

His shop had since become a landmark of nostalgic (and cheaper) days, and since taking over the old barbershop from its previous owner decades ago, has continually offered clean cuts and classic shaves—hot towels included. 

One regular named Matthew Scanlan posted a sentimental message about Corrado's on Facebook today shortly after hearing about the fire: "This is heartbreaking for me," he said. "This isn’t just my barbershop, but it was one of the last iconic storefronts of the now gentrified Queen & Bathurst neighbourhood.

"I hope the team at Corrado's Barber Shop is able to rebound from this. With the major changes that's been happening here lately, I doubt I will ever see this place open again. Decades of history, wiped away in hours."

A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for the victims affected by the fire today and their families.