No return timeline for hundreds displaced by smouldering Toronto highrise fire

TORONTO — Evacuees from two Toronto highrises are without a timeline for return as firefighters try to battle a smouldering fire caught between the buildings.

Officials say firefighters still don’t have eyes on the fire burning since Thursday and thought to be feeding off insulation trapped between the walls of the Thorncliffe Park apartment buildings.

Both of the buildings combined 378 units have been evacuated.

Speaking at the scene, Toronto Fire Services Acting Division Commander Robert Hewson said carbon monoxide levels have come down but the fire is still smouldering behind the walls and there’s no expected timeline for when residents can return.

Officials say the cause and origin of the fire are under investigation.

More than 100 people have been put up in nearby hotel rooms with support from the city and the Red Cross.

The fire chief had previously called it one of the most complex calls the service has tackled in recent memory.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2025.

Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press