Man, 70, pulled from burning apartment in Toronto’s east end

A 70-year-old man has been rushed to hospital after he was pulled from a burning apartment in the city’s east end.

The fire began at a highrise on Lumsden Avenue, near Danforth Avenue and Main Street, around 6 a.m. on Friday.

It’s not yet known what sparked the seventh-floor fire.

Police told 680 NEWS the man had serious smoke inhalation but is expected to survive. The Canadian Press reports that an infant was also treated at the scene.

“Anytime we have a highrise fire, there’s a delay in getting to the fire,” Toronto Fire platoon chief Randy Smith said.

“We don’t want to take the elevator all the way up the building because that’s dangerous. When you get to the hallway, the hallway is just thick black smoke and you really don’t know where you’re going when you start. You have to work your way down the hallway in complete blackness to just find the fire.”

Residents and homeowners can do two things to keep themselves safe in case of a fire, Smith said. Choose a meeting point, such as a tree across the street or the end of the driveway, and make sure everyone knows to go there in case of a fire. And check your smoke alarms.

“A 9-volt battery … is the cheapest insurance you could ever get,” Smith said.

 

 

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