Toronto emergency crews are investigating a 2‑alarm fire that tore through the ninth floor of a North York apartment building early Thursday, injuring two elderly women and displacing residents for at least a week.
Police say the call came in at 1:52 a.m. Thursday for reports of a fire at 1420 Victoria Park Ave. near O’Connor Drive and Eglinton Avenue East. Toronto Fire and police arrived to find smoke and flames inside the building. The fire was quickly knocked down.
Toronto Fire Commander Paul O’Brien said crews encountered black, fully charged smoke on the ninth floor when they arrived. The fire originated in the hallway on the south side of the floor, causing major damage to the corridor and affecting approximately 18 units.
O’Brien said he could not comment on how furniture in the hallway caught fire, and the origin and cause remain under investigation. Toronto Fire has not yet determined whether the Office of the Fire Marshal will be required to attend.
Five people were treated at the scene. Three remained on site, while two elderly women were taken to the hospital — one with serious but non‑life‑threatening injuries, the other with minor injuries, according to paramedics.
Residents on the affected portion of the ninth floor will not be allowed back into their units for at least a week due to smoke and fire damage. TTC shelter buses were brought in to help residents escape the overnight heat.
This is the second fire at the same TCHC building in recent days. On June 28, a resident was killed in a separate blaze at the North York address. TCHC issued a public statement at the time acknowledging the fatal fire and outlining support for displaced tenants.
Police say the call came in at 1:52 a.m. on July 9, 2026, for reports of a fire at an apartment building on Victoria Park Avenue near O’Connor Drive and Eglinton Avenue East. Photo: Bertram Dandy/CityNews.
Keep it Factual
Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
