fire downtown toronto

Fire in downtown Toronto apartment fills sky with heavy black smoke

Wild images are circulating this morning of a building on fire in downtown Toronto as rising smoke plumes catch the eyes and lenses of people all over the city.

Toronto Fire is currently responding to a three-alarm blaze within a residential highrise near George and Adelaide Streets.

Police and fire officials were first called to the scene at 10:23 a.m. on Thursday for reports of an apartment on fire with smoke and flames coming from the balcony.

Traffic was immediately blocked off in the area while TTC buses were brought in to shelter residents as the building was evacuated.

Toronto Police announced just before 10:45 a.m. that the fire had been extinguished, but that fire officials remain on scene investigating.

"Expect delays in the area," wrote police on Twitter. "Thank you to all who assisted."

As of 11:30 a.m., road closures remain in place at Sherbourne and Richmond Streets, along Adelaide Street East from Jarvis Street to Frederick Street and on George Street.

Short-lived as the blaze may have been, it kicked a significant amount of smoke up into the air, near-blanketing east downtown Toronto at one point.

Emergency officials have yet to comment on what caused the fire, the extent of the damages, or if anyone was injured.

Lead photo by

Fahd Ananta


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