Toronto blaze destroys heritage buildings
By: Chris Wattie , Canwest News Service
TORONTO - Flames consumed a block of heritage buildings on Toronto's Queen Street West on Wednesday, collapsing one historic structure and leaving several others empty blackened shells in a huge fire that one community leader said "left a hole in the heart of the city."
More than 150 firefighters and 40 pumper and ladder trucks fought the stubborn fire for hours in windy, freezing weather that covered firefighters, rubble, power lines and store fronts in a coat of ice that froze almost as soon as it left firefighters' hoses.
It took more than three hours to contain the blaze within the six-building bloc where it broke out at about 5 a.m. and the fire continued to smoulder for the rest of the afternoon.
One building collapsed completely just as fire crews were scrambling out of the structure and another had to be pulled down to allow access to hot spots inside.
Paul Mantella watched from across the street with tears in his eyes as fire trucks continued to pour water into the blackened interior of his audio-visual store.
"This is a nightmare - just devastating," he said. "I've been here 40 years, since 1968 and now . . . it looks like a war zone."
Mantella said he did not have fire insurance for his business, which takes up the ground floor of the building where officials believe the fire started.
"No insurance," he said sadly. "You can't get insurance on Queen Street West: the company told me the building was too old."
Chief Bill Stewart, of the Toronto Fire Department, said the first fire trucks arrived to find three tenants in the three-storey buildings hanging outside their windows to escape the thick smoke and flames.
They were rescued by fire department ladder trucks, he said.
But the flames spread too quickly for his firefighters to control, Stewart said.
"It was very intense and the fire flashed very quickly," he said. "It's amazing that everyone got out."
Glenn Hughes, who rents an apartment in one of the burned-out buildings, said he was awakened by a neighbour pounding on his door and thick, choking smoke seeping under his front door.
"There was smoke everywhere," he said. "We got out pretty quickly and then we cleared out the building next door."
Hughes surveyed the still-smoking wreckage across the street and said he hopes the area will be rebuilt.
"Hopefully everyone will rebuild, bigger and better than it was before."
Coun. Adam Vaughan, whose ward includes the area hit by the fire, said the block had just recently been designated heritage buildings and included some that dated back to 1880. "It's left a hole in the heart of the city," he said as he toured the area on Wednesday.
Fire Capt. Adrian Ratushniak said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire.
And with the wind chill, temperatures dropped as low as -20 C making firefighters work more dangerous, Ratushniak added.
"The weather is an issue here . . . the firefighters are covered in ice, they've been here for hours and hours under a lot of water," he said.
No injuries were reported from the fire.
© National Post 2008Source: http://www.canada.com/topics/news/
Accessed Date: 19/05/08
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