Fire still smouldering at Thorncliffe Park highrise, no return date for residents
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TORONTO – A fire that started late last month is still smouldering inside the walls of two Toronto highrise buildings.
City of Toronto spokesman Russell Baker says the fire at 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr. and 21 Overlea Blvd. continues to be a “complex situation.”
The fire, which is burning the combustible particle board placed in an expansion joint between the two buildings, started Nov. 27.
A total of 408 units had to be evacuated, and the city said earlier this month that 239 people from 119 households were staying in 131 hotel rooms, with support coming from the Canadian Red Cross.
Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop has said the fire was burning deep inside a narrow gap between 25 to 50 millimetres wide, which prevented fire crews from being able to directly access it.
Baker says there is no timeline for when residents may safely return to their units, but that it won’t be this week.
“We understand that residents are eager to know when they can return to their homes, and we thank them for their patience and understanding as this work continues. Our priority remains ensuring residents can return to their homes as soon as it is safe to do so,” Baker said in an email Saturday.
Jessop told reporters Dec. 3 that engineers recommended “making access through the walls of a number of units” to get at the burning material sandwiched between the buildings.
He said there was “absolutely going to be damage to the units,” especially those on the buildings’ adjoining walls.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2025.