1 person dead, 150 without a home after 3-alarm fire at downtown TCH building

One person is dead and five others were taken to hospital after a three-alarm blaze at a community housing building that left all its residents displaced, Toronto Fire Services says.

Flames broke out around 5:45 p.m. Thursday in a unit on the fourth floor of the building on George Street near Dundas Street and quickly spread to an adjacent unit, Captain David Eckerman said.

Within slightly more than 15 minutes, it was designated a three-alarm fire.

First-floor resident Terence Cater first thought it was a false alarm.

"Then I looked out the window and I noticed the side of the wall was red," he said. "It was burning pretty wicked, pretty fast."

About 12 people had to be taken out of the building on ladders. There remains no word on the condition of the five in hospital. 

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"Our crews were able to bring some people through the inside of the building out," Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said. "There were other people brought down from the outside on ladders. A very complex, very demanding rescue."

Mayor John Tory visited the site of the fire on Thursday night telling reporters Toronto Community Housing is arranging for residents to stay in hotels overnight. Approximately 150 residents live in the building, he said.

Building residents were loaded onto buses and taken to hotels, many as a precaution in case of toxic fumes, water damage and possible damage to fire alarms as a result of the blaze, said Tory. It's unknown when they'll be able to go home, but fourth-floor residents will likely be among the last to return, he said.

Tory also said fire crews responded to the scene in response to a fire alarm, suggesting alarms in the building were working at the time of the blaze.

There is no word yet on a cause. Toronto Fire continues its investigation and the Ontario Fire Marshal has been notified.

Thursday's fire is the second in two days at a Toronto Community Housing site.

On Wednesday, flames broke out at a building in the Shuter Street and Sherbourne Street area while fire alarms were being upgraded. No one was injured in the incident.

"I think you can always do better," Tory said Thursday night. "I think that we will learn whatever we can from this and other incidents and make sure that we place safety first."