Woman critically injured in two-alarm blaze

A two-alarm fire in the city's west end has sent a 24-year-old woman to hospital with critical injuries. 

The victim was pulled from the basement of a burning house on Sheridan Avenue, near College and Dufferin Streets, after emergency crews were called at about 1:45 a.m. She had no life signs and was resuscitated on the scene before being taken to Toronto Western Hospital.

She has since been transferred to Sunnybrook Hospital, where she is being treated for burns and smoke inhalation. 

A man who was in the basement with her made it out on his own. Other residents of the building's upper floors also made it out safely.

The woman's name has not been released.  

The cause of the blaze is under investigation. Investigators are looking into whether the building and its four rental units — which housed eight people in total — met the necessary legal and safety requirements.

The woman's basement apartment had only one exit and its windows were blocked by security bars. Investigators also say her apartment's smoke detector was not connected to other alarms in the building, as required. 

Damage to the building is estimated at $250,000.