TORONTO, August 4, 2026 – Four residents, including two children, were taken to hospital after a two-alarm fire broke out early August 4 in a downtown Toronto high-rise apartment building. An adult man suffered second-degree burns and remains in hospital receiving treatment.
Toronto Fire Services said firefighters were called shortly after 3 a.m. to the St. James Town neighbourhood near Ontario Street and St. James Avenue. City fire dispatch records show the incident was listed at 3:11 a.m. as a two-alarm high-rise residential fire, with multiple fire and rescue vehicles sent to the scene.
When firefighters arrived at 666 Ontario Street, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from a unit on the eighth floor of the high-rise building. Conditions inside were hot. Crews quickly brought the fire under control, prevented it from spreading to neighbouring units, and carried out ventilation and checks inside the building.
Two adults and two children, aged 12 and 14, were taken to hospital. Fire officials said the adult man suffered second-degree burns. The adult woman and the two children were treated for observation and are expected to be discharged. All four were listed in stable condition, with no life-threatening injuries. The affected family is temporarily unable to return to the unit where the fire started.
After the fire, some residents in nearby units were briefly evacuated. Fire officials confirmed the fire was contained to one residential unit, and nearby residents were later allowed to return home. There was no sign that flames had extended to other units.
Investigators found an electric bicycle and several lithium-ion batteries inside the unit and on the balcony. Firefighters said some of the batteries were damaged during the fire and intensified the burning, but they have not yet confirmed whether the batteries were the original cause of the fire.
As a result, this incident should not be described directly as an “e-bike battery fire.” At this stage, the cause remains under investigation, and fire officials have not determined the fire to be suspicious.
In recent years, Toronto Fire Services has repeatedly reminded residents about the risks linked to lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are widely used in phones, computers, electric bicycles and electric scooters. They are usually safe when used properly, but if a battery has been damaged, exposed to water, modified, or charged with an incompatible charger, it may overheat and create a fire risk.
In high-rise residential buildings, battery-related fires can produce high heat and heavy smoke quickly. Residents should use original chargers or chargers approved by the manufacturer, avoid charging devices near exits, hallways or stairwells, and should not leave devices charging for long periods while sleeping or when no one is watching. Batteries that are swollen, cracked, giving off an unusual smell or overheating should not continue to be used.
It should also be noted that several other high-rise residential fires occurred in Toronto on August 4, including a fatal fire in a Scarborough apartment building and another cooking-related fire in a different St. James Town building. These incidents took place in separate buildings, and there is currently no evidence that they are connected.
The final cause of the early morning fire on Ontario Street remains under investigation by fire officials.（LJI by Yuanyuan）
