One person is dead following a two-alarm fire at one of the city’s shelter hotels.
The fire broke out at the Toronto Plaza Hotel, located near Wilson Avenue and Highway 400, at around 9:40 a.m. on Monday.
Smoke was visible when crews arrived on scene and a fire was discovered on the fourth floor, officials said.
“Our crews, there first priority is life safety. They made entry into the building for the purposes of search and rescue. In the course of those operations, they located one person inside the unit that was involved in fire,” Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg told reporters at the scene on Monday.
“That person was removed from the unit and brought to the care of the of the waiting Toronto paramedics. Unfortunately, I regret to inform that person has been pronounced dead.”
Pegg did not provide an information about the deceased but paramedics previously said the victim was an adult.
One other person was assessed at the scene for smoke inhalation, paramedics said. Occupants of the building were asked to shelter in place as crews worked to extinguish the blaze.
Toronto Fire Service investigators, along with the Office of the Fire Marshal and Toronto police, will now work to determine what led to the deadly blaze.
“There will be a comprehensive investigation into the origin cause and circumstances into this fatal fire,” Pegg said.
He added that the building was most recently inspected for fire code compliance in July.
“That inspection was completed and the building was in compliance of the fire code with no violations,” he said
