About 1,500 displaced by Toronto fire

Yorkregion.com
August 22, 2018
The Canadian Press

Toronto's mayor says he has no idea when about 1,500 people displaced by a fire in a downtown highrise building will be able to return home.

John Tory says fire officials will have to complete their investigation into the cause before management can begin preparing the building for residents to return.

Tory says four people were injured on Tuesday as firefighters evacuated the building after the fire cut electricity and other services.

Fire chief Matthew Pegg says they are moving as quickly as they can to complete the investigation and inspection work.

Tory also issued an appeal for temporary housing for the displaced residents, saying that having them stay in community centres wasn't acceptable.

He says many have found shelter with friends and family and the city has put others up in hotels, but about 150 places were still needed.

"I am reiterating my plea today to people in the hotel industry and to those that might have Airbnb-type units ... to be in touch with us," Tory said, adding he hoped to have all residents out of the community centres by the end of Thursday.

Airbnb said Wednesday that it has activated its "open homes" program in Toronto and select areas of the Greater Toronto Area through Sept. 2.

"Those in need of temporary accommodations as a result of their evacuation from the building are able to connect with hosts in the area who are opening their homes free of charge," Kellie Bentz of Airbnb said in a release.

Tory said he didn't know when residents could return to the building.

"We don't know a time," he told a news conference Wednesday afternoon. "I've been certainly leaving them (the residents) with no expectation that they're going to be back in any time really soon."