A passerby is being praised for jumping out of a cab and alerting three people about a fire outside their home Thursday morning.
Toronto Fire Captain Stephan Powell told CP24 the fire was likely caused by an arsonist.
Powell said it appears a discarded couch left outside a two-storey Bathurst Street complex overnight was deliberately set on fire just before 5 a.m. The flames and smoke quickly spread to the building.
Terry Jansen told CP24 he was passing by in a taxi when he noticed the smoke. He quickly jumped out of the vehicle and ran into the building, waking up residents living above a vacant store.
Two women and a man, believed to be all in their 20s, came out carrying a cat in a cage.
Fire officials closed Bathurst Street from Queen to Carr streets while they put out the flames. The fire was quickly brought under control and no injuries were reported.
There is however water and smoke damage to the front of the building.
