Rooming house operator charged after west-end blaze seriously injures firefighter
A 72-year-old woman is facing several charges — including arson by negligence — after a fire broke out at an unlicenced rooming house she was operating, seriously injuring a firefighter, police say.
The flames broke out in a two-storey home on Dufferin Street near Alma Avenue, north of Queen Street West, shortly after 9 a.m. on Oct. 11. A firefighter was seriously injured.
The accused has been charged with two counts of arson by negligence and one charge each of criminal negligence cause bodily harm, mischief endangering life and mischief under $5,000.
The division chief of fire investigations with Toronto Fire Service, Larry Cocco, says additional charges could be laid.
Cocco told CBC News the same rooming house operator was convicted last August of eight violations under the Ontario Fire Code.
Cocco says after the fire on Oct. 11, Toronto Fire conducted an investigation with the Office of the Fire Marshal and found additional fire code violations.
"I can't get into details on those violations because the investigation is ongoing, but the violations were significant and had an impact on the spread of the fire," Cocco said.
Earlier this month, Toronto Fire told CBC News the first fire crew on the scene went inside the house to search for residents and encountered very high heat. One firefighter lost consciousness as a result, so the crew's captain declared a "mayday" and the crew went outside.
The firefighter suffered serious but non life-threatening injuries. Two residents of the building were also treated for smoke inhalation and taken to hospital.
Toronto Fire hopes to finalize its investigation within the next week. Toronto's Municipal Licensing and Standards department is also looking into the incident.
"The important takeaway from this is the fire code is a very important document to ensure the life safety of occupants," Cocco said. "Adhering to the fire code is the law. It's not optional."
The accused is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 29.
