Fire at Thorncliffe Park highrise has been put out, no return date for residents

TORONTO — A fire that started late last month inside the walls of two Toronto highrise buildings has been put out.

A statement from the City of Toronto says residents of 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr. and 21 Overlea Blvd learned the news late Monday.

The fire, which was burning the combustible particle board placed in an expansion joint between the two buildings, started Nov. 27.

A total of 408 units had to be evacuated, and the city has said 239 people from 119 households were staying in 131 hotel rooms.

The statement says with the fire out, property management firms will work with engineers to carry out full assessments of the buildings.

Officials have not yet shared what caused the fire, and it’s still up in the air as to when all residents will return home.

“Once the engineering assessments are complete and reviewed by the City, residents will receive direct communication from their property management company with next steps,” reads the Monday statement from Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop and Kamal Gogna, executive director of Toronto Building.

“The City thanks residents for their patience and understanding over the past two and a half weeks.”

Jessop and Gogna are expected to address reporters Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2025.

— By Aaron Sousa in Edmonton

The Canadian Press