Toronto fire officials say they have put out a blaze at two highrises in Thorncliffe Park that started months after a similar fire displaced hundreds of residents in the building.
Officials said operations concluded at 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr. and 21 Overlea Blvd. at noon on Monday and that they’ve turned the buildings over to their respective property companies.
The fire was in the insulation trapped in the concrete walls between the two buildings, as it was months before at the end of 2025. Around 400 residents had to be evacuated then due to rising carbon mooxide levels, but this time, the buildings weren’t evacuated.
Saw sparked fire
Toronto fire chief Jim Jessop says the most recent fire was caused by a saw creating sparks on the concrete.
“The fire was caused by workers in the building doing remedial work and repair work and restoration work from the original fire in the unit on the seventh floor,” he said. “It was caused by sparks from a saw cutting into concrete that caused the TenTest insulation (a rigid, natural wood fiber) to again catch fire.”
Kamal Gogna, executive director Toronto Building, said work immediately stopped upon the discovery of the fire.
“The scope of that work includes the removal of the TenTest material that the chief described as well as filling the gap with fire-stopping material along with some restoration of concrete work that is necessary,” Gogna said at the time.
A new order was issued requiring a construction plan before any work on the site could resume.
Gogna said TenTest insulation is commonly used to separate two structures in the construction industry.
“At the time when these buildings were constructed there were no code deficiencies identified,” he said.
– with files from Jane Stevenson
