Residents allowed back into one of two Thorncliffe Park condos evacuated due to fire
Written by The Canadian Press on January 6, 2026
TORONTO — The City of Toronto says it has given the green light for most residents to return to one of two highrises evacuated due to a fire that smouldered inside the walls for weeks.
A spokesperson says the city confirmed Sunday that residents of 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr. could go back to all but 16 units along the shared wall between the two buildings.
Kamal Gogna, chief building official and executive director of Toronto Building, says the notice was given within hours of receiving engineering reports from the firms hired by the building owner to assess access and remediation.
Gogna referred questions about the other building, 21 Overlea Blvd., to the property management company.
The fire broke out on Nov. 27, burning the combustible particle board placed in an expansion joint between the two buildings.
A total of 408 units had to be evacuated, and the city said at the time that 239 people from 119 households were staying in 131 hotel rooms.
Firefighters put out the fire in mid-December and turned over the buildings to property management.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2026.
The Canadian Press