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The outline of homes is seen as a three-alarm blaze rips through the unfinished structures. (CP24 MYBREAKINGNEWS/Ryan Perks)

View larger image The night sky is lit up as flames rip through a series of townhomes under construction. (CP24 MYBREAKINGNEWS/Michael Romaniuk)  View larger image Emergency crews respond to the fire in east Mississauga. (CP24 MYBREAKINGNEWS/Adrian Gauthier)

A massive three-alarm blaze overnight has destroyed at least 48 townhouse units that were under construction and injured two firefighters in the east end of Mississauga .

The blaze broke out just before 11 p.m. Monday night and quickly swept from unit to unit at the site on Burnamthorpe Dr. near Pontytrail Dr. and Dixie Rd.

Platoon Chief Mike Head says over 48 units were destroyed and one firefighter was taken to hospital with heat exhaustion. Another firefighter was treated at the scene.

It was the second time the construction site was hit with a fire. Eight units were damaged in the February blaze that was estimated to have cost $1 million of damage.

"The (first fire's) investigators will be very interested in the second fire last night." says Head, adding that Mississauga Fire officials are in possession of surveillance footage from the development area.

Firefighters remained at the scene throughout the morning as smoke rose from the ashes and bewildered construction workers arrived to find their job site in ruins for the second time.

Julien Diciano, a representative from Dunpar Homes, says 55 units were damaged at a loss of up to $10 million. He also says the units were about 70 per cent completed.

He says many of the homes had already been sold. The units were luxury townhomes valued from $500,000 to $625,000.

A charred banner posted at the site promotes 'Fall 2009 Occupancy' and heat from the blaze melted nearby power and cable TV wire lines.

Firefighters at the scene also told CP24 that flaming embers threatened a neighbouring church, but that building was undamaged.

The Fire Marshall's Office will be probing the blaze along with Peel Regional Police's criminal investigations unit.