Parts of the roof and some of the interior of Toronto’s Zanzibar Tavern have collapsed due to a three-alarm fire on Sunday, says the city’s fire chief.
Emergency responders were called to a smoky fire at 359 Yonge St., near Elm Street, just after 6 a.m.
“Upon our arrival, crews were met with heavy flame, heavy smoke, and heat at the Zanzibar Tavern,” Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop said from the scene late Sunday afternoon.
“The fire was automatically escalated to a second alarm and the incident commander made decisions that, to be very honest, saved the rest of this block. I’ve been upstairs. I’ve seen the damage.”
The blaze was later upgraded to the three alarms.
In an initial post on social media, Toronto fire said crews actively fought the fire “with areas of the structure now deemed compromised.”
Jessop added that firefighters aggressively attacked it from both inside and outside and from the front and the back of the building using ladders.
Fire services said the roof has become unstable as a result of the blaze, which became unsafe for their crews combatting the fire from inside.
Jessop, who said floors inside the building have also collapsed, had toured the property, calling the damage it sustained “substantive.”
He said he’s been in touch with the city’s chief building official. It is not known at this point if the building will need to be demolished due to the structural damage it sustained, said Jessop.
“Toronto Building (Division) will, at some point ... take over, and issue orders under the Building Code Act with respect to structural integrity and any other actions they deem appropriate,” he said.
‘Incredible work’ saved adjoining buildings: fire chief
Jessop thanked his team and other first responders for their for their “incredible work” on this call.
“They responded quickly. Their professionalism and their quick action absolutely saved the adjoining buildings from from further damage. And because of that incredible work again. I want to say thank you.” he said.
“I also want to thank our peers at Toronto Police and Toronto Paramedic Services for their support.”
No injuries have been reported and the fire does not appear to be suspicious, he noted.
It is also unclear if anyone was inside the building when the blaze erupted.
The fire chief added that the origin, cause, and circumstances of this fire are being investigated.
“We are in the early stages and we will conduct our investigation as we do with every investigation in the city. It’ll be systematic. It’ll be scientific, and we will follow our normal process,” he said.
Yonge Street remains closed between Dundas and Gerrard streets as does westbound Gerrard Street at Church Street.
Zanzibar’s owner vows to reopen
Allen Cooper, owner of Zanzibar, says it looks like the top floor of the club might be gone.
“We’ve been around since 1960. My dad started the place. Bigger and better is our attitude,” Cooper told CP24.
“We can always hope for the best, build it better than it was.”
When asked if Zanzibar would come back, Cooper says he “certainly” hopes so.
Witness saw ‘intense smoke’
Mark Coveyduck told CP24 he was in the area at around 6:30 a.m., called the scene “absolutely chaotic.”
“All I saw was just the intense smoke that was coming from the building,” he said.
“I had thought both buildings were actually up in flames, but it was actually just the strip bar itself that was up in flames.”
Councillor commends firefighters
In a statement posted online, local Coun. Chris Moise commended firefighters for doing an “incredible job containing the blaze and protecting neighbouring properties” tackline the blaze at 359 Yonge St.
“Fire investigators are on scene determining the cause, and given the building’s heritage and significance to the Downtown Yonge streetscape, my office will be reaching out to the property owner to offer support,” he wrote, noting that no injuries have been reported despite the roof being compromised.
Moise said the fire is under control.
“Investigators have been called to the scene to determine what caused the fire,” he said.
With files from CP24’s Andrew Brennan
