Video captures exact moment Toronto's Zanzibar Tavern erupted into flames

Video captured the exact moment the Zanzibar Tavern erupted into flames in downtown Toronto.

Toronto Fire crews responded to a three-alarm blaze at the longstanding Yonge Street strip club around 6 a.m. on Sunday, resulting in serious damage to the neon-lit landmark.

New footage of the blaze was posted to Reddit on Monday, revealing the exact moment a small flame escalated into a full-blown inferno.

Zanzibar Fire and How It Started
by u/bakhtiya in toronto

Reddit user bakhtiya, who has been recording the construction of an adjacent condo tower at 8 Elm, captured footage of the fire, complete with exact timestamps, showing the moment the blaze gained momentum.

At exactly 5:50 a.m. on Sunday morning, a small, barely visible light appeared on the roof of the Zanzibar. Within nine minutes, that small flame had grown to a raging fire, filling the skies over Yonge and Elm with thick, black smoke.

Toronto Fire crews report that the building was not occupied at the time of the fire, and no injuries have been reported. However, the local landmark has suffered extensive damage, and there is no estimate of when it could reopen.