Yonge-St. Clair residents hoping apartments don’t burn

Six-alarm fire had over 100 firefighters at neighbouring building

Shelter Bus TTC
A TTC shelter bus parked on St. Clair to help those evacuated due to fire. Olivia Blackmore/Toronto Observer

Employees in the office buildings at Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue watched the flames of a six-alarm fire destroy 25 St. Clair Ave. W. from their windows Tuesday.

“We look out and we see a bunch of smoke billowing up from the building,” said Andrew Gadsby, an employee at Nexonia.

Fire truck ladder sprays water onto roof of building

Toronto firefighters battle to put out the fire at the Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto. (Photo courtesy Chantal Huard)

“Half an hour later and we’re seeing more smoke, and we see the roof collapse and finally see the flames come out.”

Toronto fire received a call about the fire at 9:20 a.m. and by noon it was escalated to a six-alarm fire. Over 100 firefighters were at the scene.

“There were people on the street completely oblivious to the fact there was a raging inferno twenty-feet to the right,” Gadbsy said. His office is at 2 St. Clair Ave. E.

“It was very strange.”

Andrew Gadsby watched flames destroy 25 St. Clair Ave. W. through his office window.  (Photo courtesy Linkedin)

Residents of nearby apartments were evacuated from their homes, and many were waiting and watching the scene, behind police tape.

“I woke up at 9:30 and I smelled smoke,” said Bri Caspillan, a resident who was ordered to leave her home. “The smoke was so thick it was going into all our apartments.”

Caspillan was not worried as the Toronto fire department was taking care of the situation.

Other residents are more concerned.

“At first I thought it was the construction going on in our building, then we started seeing smoke,” Denny Boyir said.

Boyir was standing at the corner of Yonge and St. Clair with his girlfriend’s mother, uncertain about the condition of their apartment, and hoping it does not catch fire.

“You’re thinking about the residents,” Gadsby said. “The people who are out there, that’s my concern.”

No deaths or injuries have been reported.

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Posted: Feb 14 2017 10:34 pm
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