Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop confirmed on Tuesday that a second fire at two east end condo high-rises was caused by sparks from a saw cutting concrete. The blaze reignited TenTest insulation, a rigid natural wood fiber material, that had previously burned during a weeks-long fire last winter.
Investigation Findings
Speaking at a morning press conference, Jessop stated, "The investigation has been completed. The fire was caused by workers in the building doing remedial work and repair work and restoration work from the original fire in the unit on the seventh floor. It was caused by sparks from a saw cutting into concrete that caused the TenTest insulation to again catch fire."
Toronto Fire responded to the 3-alarm blaze at 11 Thorncliffe Park Drive and 21 Overlea Boulevard with 12 trucks and over 100 firefighters. No tenant evacuation was necessary, and no injuries were reported. Jessop noted that air quality monitoring for smoke and carbon monoxide indicated safe conditions, allowing residents to remain in their units.
Building Permits and Work Stoppage
Kamal Gogna, the chief building official and executive director of Toronto Building, revealed that the city had issued two building permits for remedial work following the 2025 fire. The scope included removing TenTest material, filling gaps with fire-stopping material, and restoring concrete. However, all work has been ordered to stop immediately.
"We have issued an order to the property management requiring their engineer to produce a construction management plan prior to any work resuming on site," Gogna said. "Work will not continue until we're satisfied, the city is satisfied, that that remedial work can continue in a safe manner."
Background on Previous Fire
The original fire on November 27, 2025, burned for over two weeks, forcing the evacuation of approximately 400 units. Most residents could not return until January 4. Jessop described it as the most complex situation in his 30-year career due to difficulties accessing the smoldering insulation.
Gogna confirmed that TenTest insulation is commonly used to separate structures and that no code deficiencies were identified when the buildings were constructed. He acknowledged that saws were used to cut concrete during remedial work but stated a plan was in place to address the methodology.
