A firefighter battling a two-alarm fire at a North York residence Monday morning was injured.
Toronto Fire Services is currently in defensive mode extinguishing a two-alarm residential fire on Patricia Ave in the area of Bathurst St/SteelesAve W. Crews were dispatched just after 6am. A firefighter was injured and taken to hospital. #Toronto
— Toronto Fire Services (@Toronto_Fire) August 15, 2022
Toronto paramedics said they transported a patient with serious but non-life threatening injuries to a local hospital.
The fire broke out around 6:10 a.m. in a large, vacant house under construction on Patricia Ave, near Steeles Avenue West and Bathurst Street.
A large plume of smoke could be seen coming from the second floor.
“Initially arriving crews were met with heavy flames and smoke showing through the alpha side and through the roof,” Acting Section Chief Godfrey Greaves told CP24.
“They were able to move in quickly for firefighting activities and conduct the primary search. The situation was then upgraded to a second alarm to provide additional firefighting equipment. All crews are currently on the ‘scene and we are still actively fighting the fire.’
Greaves said exposure lines “have also been put in place” to protect neighboring houses due to “collapse concerns”, adding that they “don’t anticipate any issues with these properties”.
He also indicated that some crews had to be moved to neighboring properties to fight the fire from the back of the house, as the backyard is quite small.
Toronto Fire Services is currently in defensive mode extinguishing a two-alarm residential fire on Patricia Ave in the area of Bathurst St/SteelesAve W. Crews were dispatched just after 6am. A firefighter was injured and taken to hospital. #Toronto
— Toronto Fire Services (@Toronto_Fire) August 15, 2022
No one was home and no injuries were initially reported, Toronto Fire said.
Greaves said once the fire is out, crews will proceed with the review and then work with investigators to determine the cause, origin and circumstances.