Overview
- Emergency crews responded to a blaze at a downtown Toronto high-rise apartment early Tuesday morning that was reported from a single unit at Ontario Street and St. James Avenue.
- Firefighters described heavy heat and flames but said they were able to knock down the two-alarm fire quickly.
- Four people were taken to hospital, including a man being treated for second-degree burns and a woman and two children under observation.
- On-scene fire officials found e-bikes and multiple batteries on the balcony and batteries inside the unit and said compromised batteries likely intensified the fire.
- An official investigation is underway and the findings could lead to reviews of how batteries and e-bikes are stored or used in residential buildings.