Large fire destroys 4 newly built vacant townhouses in Markham

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 25, 2025 5:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

A ample occurrence destroyed 4 recently built vacant townhouses successful Markham precocious Monday night, resulting successful apt much than $5 cardinal successful damages, according to officials, but nary 1 was injured successful the blaze.

The occurrence broke retired successful a artifact of townhouses connected Old Kennedy Road adjacent Aldergrove Drive. Markham occurrence crews responded to a telephone for a structural occurrence successful a residential townhouse artifact astatine astir 11 p.m.

Markham Fire Chief Chris Nearing told reporters connected Tuesday that occurrence crews, done "tremendous effort," were capable to prevention 18 different units nether construction. Flames besides damaged a church, but crews constricted that harm to its roof, helium added.

By the clip firefighters arrived connected the scene, the 4 townhouses were afloat engulfed successful flames, Nearing said.

"The occurrence had precocious to a signifier wherever we were incapable to marque introduction into immoderate of those units. We instantly took a antiaircraft posture and focused our attraction connected the residential units to the northbound and to the westbound of the progressive fire," Nearing said.

Fire crews were capable to prevention six units inactive nether operation connected the northbound broadside and 12 units connected the westbound side.

The occurrence whitethorn person been fed by operation propane cylinders, nevertheless determination were nary explosions, Nearing said.

Residents of immoderate adjacent neighbourhoods could spot the flames from their homes.

Nikhita Maganti said she heard sirens from wrong her home. When she looked outside, determination were respective occurrence trucks, constabulary vehicles and a batch of smoke.

"I went and checked my model and determination was similar this immense blaze," she said.

Her archetypal daze rapidly turned to concern, erstwhile she said she realized however atrocious the occurrence was.

"We were conscionable disquieted that these houses would drawback occurrence arsenic well. There's houses down implicit there, truthful it was truly huge. It was really hard to spot what precisely was connected fire."

Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) was initially called into investigate, but it said the City of Markham terminated the investigation. The harm is truthful terrible that determination is small accidental of determining the origin, origin and circumstances of the fire, the OFM said.

The scene has present been turned implicit to security companies to let them to behaviour their ain investigation.