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Female dead in apartment fire in east end Toronto

A female was found dead inside an 8th floor unit of this apartment building in Toronto's east end after a fire on Saturday. (Joe Fiorino/CBC - image credit)
A female was found dead inside an 8th floor unit of this apartment building in Toronto's east end after a fire on Saturday. (Joe Fiorino/CBC - image credit)

A female has died after a fire broke out inside a unit in a community housing building in Toronto early Saturday.

Toronto firefighters were called to the building at 1420 Victoria Park Ave. near O'Connor Drive shortly after 8 a.m., according to Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop.

Smoke was reportedly coming from a unit on the eighth floor.

"Upon arrival and making entry into the unit, our firefighters were met with heavy, heavy smoke conditions," Jessop said outside the building.

"They were able to quickly extinguish the fire and contain the fire to the unit of origin."

According to Toronto paramedics, emergency crews had to force entry to gain access to the unit.

During a search, firefighters found a victim, a female, inside the unit. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her age has not been released.

There was no fire damage to other units, Jessop said. All residents have been allowed to return, he added.

"The conditions inside the unit were extremely difficult with the heavy smoke. We did our best," he said.

Investigators from Toronto Fire and the Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal will determine the cause of the fire and whether there were any working smoke alarms inside the unit.

Toronto Community Housing Corporation operates the building, according to Paul Versace, platoon chief for Toronto Fire Services.