‘Really sad’: Toronto Humber Yacht Club in ruins after three-alarm blaze
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TORONTO – An early morning blaze has left the historic Toronto Humber Yacht Club in ruins in the city’s west end.
Firefighters were dispatched to a three-alarm fire shortly before 5 a.m. Wednesday and arrived to find flames coming from all sides of the building and through the roof, fire officials said.
No one was inside the building at the time and no injuries were reported, a spokesperson for the fire service said.
Fifty trucks were sent to the site and the main body of the fire was knocked down 20 minutes after they arrived, the service said.
There is significant damage to the building, with its contents and roof destroyed, a spokesperson said,
Sydney Cook, who lives across from the park where the club is located, was drawn outside by the sound of sirens.
“I go out front of my building to look and I had a line of sight where I could see just this glow coming from the forest,” the 30-year-old said.
As he headed toward the park for a closer look, Cook could see a blaze raging, he said.
“By the time I got there, a quarter of the roof was on fire,” he said, adding it took about 20 minutes for it to be completely engulfed.
The fire started to settling down during sunrise, he said.
Cook, who has lived most of his life in the area, said he has fond memories of the yacht club, which was the site of his middle school graduation. He also worked there during summers when he was a teenager, he said.
“I do love the building, it’s got a bit of personal history for me and I was just really sad when I saw it (burning),” he said.
Last month, Toronto city council voted to end the club’s lease.
In a statement posted on social media, the club said it was “deeply saddened by the devastating fire.”
“For many months, our members have been working to protect the future of the club and remained hopeful that it could still be saved,” it said. “Today’s fire is a heartbreaking setback.”
The club said it was fully co-operating with the ongoing investigation.
Toronto fire said crews would remain at the club, located on the west bank of the Humber River in Toronto’s west end, for 24 hours to ensure the fire stays out.
The cause and origin of the fire have not yet been determined.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2026.