71 houses destroyed in Vaughan construction site blaze, deputy fire chief now says

Cause of fire still unknown, total cost of damage still being evaluated

Cbc.ca
April 17, 2023

A total of 71 units were either flattened or damaged by the massive fire that ripped through a Vaughan construction site Wednesday -- and the cause of the flames is still under investigation, the city's deputy fire chief says.

Vaughan Deputy Fire Chief Grant Moffatt told reporters Thursday afternoon that of those 71 units, 31 were detached homes, 23 were townhouses and several others were basements where a floor deck had been installed.

On Wednesday, Moffatt said at least 20 homes had been destroyed.

The Office of the Fire Marshall has investigators on site who are probing the cause of the fire, but it's been determined the fire originated in a unit on the far west side of the site before spreading, said Moffatt. Both York Regional Police and Vaughan Fire are also investigating.

"This was a wind-driven fire," he said. "These were full standing structures and they're totally destroyed right now."

When asked about cost of the damage, Moffatt said: "Where to start?"

Nothing to suggest suspicious origins: Moffat
"If you're starting with new foundations, new buildings, what building materials were damaged, what infrastructure was damaged?" he said.

Flames broke out Wednesday around 1 p.m. at the subdivision under construction in the area of Teston Road and Pine Valley Drive, said Moffatt Wednesday. The city said 52 firefighters, four chief officers, several police officers and multiple EMS units were on scene and a nearby neighbourhood had to be evacuated. No injuries were reported.

By 3 p.m., most of the fire had been extinguished.

Moffat said his office is working with the builder to determine the extent of the losses in the next few days, he said. Insurance adjusters for the company have arrived as well and are conducting evaluations.

Due to the intensity of the blaze, even properties that weren't destroyed have cracked foundations, said Moffatt. There's nothing to suggest the blaze had suspicious origins, he said.