The Great Toronto Fire
An Unprecedented Disaster in the History of the City of Toronto
In 1904 the city of Toronto suffered a disaster unlike any experienced before when a fire broke out in the city's wholesale and light-manufacturing district.
"We should not allow any buildings to be erected over seven storys"
That was the reaction, reported in the Toronto Star on April 21 1904, of then City Architect Robert McCallum, two days after the Great Toronto Fire.
On the night of April 19, 1904 the city of Toronto suffered a disaster unlike any experienced before when a fire broke out in the wholesale and light-manufacturing district. It took nine hours and over 250 firefighters to bring it under control and the ruins left behind smoldered for weeks.
No one was killed but a few were seriously injured, including the fire chief, however the damage was extensive. Over one hundred buildings were destroyed with damages estimated at the time at over 10 million dollars.
The fire was discovered by a patrolman at 8:04pm. Fortunately the businesses in the area had closed for the day and the employees had gone home.
The fire started in the E&S Currie Building, a necktie factory at 58 Wellington St W and spread quickly. By 9pm every fireman in the city had been called in. By 11pm the fire was at Front St where it continued south to the Esplanade and east along Front towards Young. It traveled as far east as the Queens hotel and as far west as Lorne St. Going north on Bay the fire was stopped at the Evening Telegram building by employees who fought it through the buildings windows using hoses and wet towels.
Firefighters from Hamilton, London and Buffalo were called in to relieve the exhausted Toronto firefighters.
The firemen were hampered in their efforts to put out the fire by many problems. In 1904 downtown Toronto was a maze of electrical, telegraph and telephone wires which made it almost impossible for them to put up ladders to get above the blaze. At the time Toronto had a low water pressure water system in use which made reaching higher floors without a ladder impossible.
The night of April 19th was cold and windy, further hampering the firefighter's efforts. In the -4 degree weather the water turned to ice as it came out of the hoses. The 48mph winds that night allowed the fire to jump from building to building with ease.
The biggest problem which worked against the firemen was the buildings themselves. Turn of the century construction was mostly wood and the stairwells and elevator shafts were open as were most storage areas allowing the flames free reign to spread quickly.
Many of buildings in the area were manufacturers and importers of fabrics and clothing, paper products, books and chemicals, all stored conveniently in open areas providing the fire with ample fuel. Only three of the buildings had sprinkler systems.
Ironically, only a week before Fire Chief Thompson had asked the Board of Control for more funding to improve fire fighting services. During the fire Thompson broke his leg while escaping a building which had gotten out of control leaving his deputy to fight the blaze.
The fire's aftermath left 5000 people out of work, 2.5% of the population. A similar disaster using 2007 population numbers would leave over 60,000 out of work. Some of the unemployed found work cleaning up the ruins left by the fire, work which had to be done by hand.
Many of the businesses whose buildings had been destroyed were able to relocate and continued to do business within days but several simply stopped operating, unable to recover from their losses.
As a result of the fire insurance rates across Canada increased with the exception of Quebec which had already seen increases because of fires in that province. Premiums were raised 75% in the affected area retroactive to the night of the fire.
Electrical problems or a faulty heating stove were the suspected causes of the fire but the cause was never confirmed. As a result of the fire there was a call for improved fire services and building materials. There were also changes to building practices which included closing off stairwells and elevator shafts to make it easier to contain future fires.
City Architect McCallum called for fire proofing measures in all apartment buildings, hotels and hospitals over three stories and businesses over four stories. Two years later the city of Toronto began using a high pressure water system.
Sources
The Toronto Star, April 21, 1904, retrieved from Toronto Star archives March 2007
archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/fire/index.html retrieved March 2007
