Nearly 100 firefighters battling blaze at Thorncliffe Park building that smoldered for weeks last year

Officials with Toronto fire provided an update on how the 'same material' is burning at the Thorncliffe Park building that was the site of a previous multi-week

Nearly 100 firefighters are battling a three-alarm blaze at a Thorncliffe Park building that was the site of a major fire that burned for weeks and displaced hundreds of residents last year.

Firefighters were called to 11 Thorncliffe Park just after 11:30 a.m. on Monday.

There are no reports of injuries.

Fire Chief Jim Jessop told media at the site that they have not ordered the evacuation of the building.

“We are sheltering those residents in place, because it is safe to do so at this time,” he said. “Our crews are doing continual air monitoring throughout the building to make sure that the residents are in no danger.”

TTC busses were on hand for those who choose to leave their units.

Jessop said the operation will continue until fire officials are satisfied the blaze is completely extinguished.

Jessop said Monday’s fire is in the same expansion joint as the five-alarm that broke out at 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr. and spread to an adjoining building at 21 Overlea Blvd back on Nov. 27, 2025.

More than 400 units were evacuated because of the blaze, which Jessop called “unprecedented” and described as the most complex fire the city has even seen.

The fire was unusual as it ignited in the walls between two towers and slowly burned a compressed wood material. It simmered for more than two weeks before being declared extinguished.

Jessop said Monday that investigators are seeing smoke on different floors and levels of carbon monoxide in enclosed areas, similar to the last fire. However, he stressed that building residents were safe.

“As part of the rehabilitation from the previous fire, the building’s owner and their engineering team hoarded off and basically isolated the area in question on both sides of the building,” he said. “Right now, the only areas where we have smoke and carbon monoxide is in that enclosed area. So that is why we’ve been able to keep everyone in their condo safely, but we are still continuing to monitor right now.”

He said those who are outside and want to return to their units are being dealt with on a case-by-case basis and must consult with police first. Anyone with additional questions are asked to speak with building management.

Toronto police say that the westbound lanes of Overlea Boulevard are closed at Thorncliff Park Drive.

As of 3:30 p.m., reports from the scene suggest that several firefighters and fire trucks have cleared the area.

With files from Joanna Lavoie