A fire at a homeless encampment in downtown Toronto Wednesday morning left a man dead, officials said.
Toronto Fire Deputy Chief Jim Jessop said the fire occurred around 6 a.m. in Orphan’s Green park.
He said a wooden structure was engulfed in flames when crews arrived.
“There are fire- and life-safety risks associated with these types of structures and these types of activities when living outside,” Mr. Jessop told reporters.
Police have not identified the man who died in the fire, which a spokesman with the Office of the Fire Marshal said is being investigated.
Mr. Jessop said there was a 250 per cent increase in fires at encampments in 2020 compared to 2019. The city said there were 249 fires in encampments last year and one man died in a tent fire. There have been 27 encampment fires thus far this year, the city said.
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