Statement by Toronto Community Housing: 6250 Bathurst St. fire

TORONTO, December 11, 2020—Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) has issued this statement concerning the fire last night at 6250 Bathurst St.

Toronto Community Housing thanks Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Paramedic Services and Toronto Police Services for their timely and effective emergency response to the fire. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those injured as a result of the fire and with the entire senior tenant community at 6250 Bathurst St.

The fire displaced 29 tenants from their homes after the fifth floor was evacuated. TCHC made an offer of accommodation to all affected tenants. Most tenants chose to stay with family and friends, and TCHC found overnight accommodation at a local hotel for those tenants who needed it.

The building's fire alarm and other life safety systems were fully operational at the time of the fire. We have no information about the cause of the fire.

The unit where the fire started sustained major damage and is uninhabitable. As the fire investigation is ongoing, TCHC has been unable to access the fifth floor to determine the condition of the other units. We will ensure that all tenants displaced by the fire are safely accommodated until they are able to return to their homes.  

Multiple TCHC staff are deployed this morning to support tenants, restore elevator service and hot water at the building, reset the fire panel and inspect the building's fire life safety systems. Clean-up crews are also onsite at the building.

We are cooperating in full with the investigation being led by Toronto Fire Services.

6250 Bathurst St. is a 14-storey apartment building located on Bathurst St. near Steeles Ave. in North York. It is a seniors-designated building with 389 units, all of them rent-geared-to income. The building is owned by Toronto Community Housing and operated by TCHC's Seniors Housing Unit.

About Toronto Community Housing:

Toronto Community Housing (www.torontohousing.ca) is Canada's largest social housing provider. We provide homes for nearly 60,000 low- and moderate-income households in neighbourhoods across the city.

Media contact: media@torontohousing.ca | 416-737-6642