Highrise explosion leaves hundreds homeless

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More than 900 residents of the highrise at 2 Secord Ave. are homeless after an electrical explosion Sunday morning. And they will not be returning home for at least a month, they learned on Monday, July 21.

Emergency and city officials met with residents at Secord Public School, where a relief centre has been set up, to share the latest information before giving an update to the media.

“We’re in the early stages (of the investigation). It’s probably going to take a significant amount of time, there was considerable damage in the P1 level,” said Bill Hiscott of the Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office. “We’ve indicated to (residents) that probably the investigation and the repairs could take as many as four weeks or more.”

Brian Hiscock lives on the fourth floor with his girlfriend Linda Perrin-Noon. They were still in bed when the explosion rocked the 22-storey building northeast of Danforth Avenue and Dawes Road late Sunday morning.

“We looked outside and we saw people running. We grabbed what we could and got out,” Perrin-Noon said. “When you feel an explosion like that it feels like an earthquake or worse. I’ll never forget it.”

The couple were told Monday morning that residents would be allowed in for 15 minutes with a police or fire escort to grab essential items they’ll need for the next week or so.

While Hiscock needs his work uniform and other essential items, he isn’t sure he wants to go back into the building.

“I’m worried about going back into grab my stuff,” he said.

They didn’t escape with much more than the clothes on their backs and their cell phones before rushing out onto the street with their neighbours Sunday morning.

“We were walking around in a blur,” Perrin-Noon said.

Hiscock said the stairwell was full of people who could make their way out of the building, which was filling with smoke.

“It was hard to breathe,” he said.

The couple isn’t sure of what damage awaits them in their home, but Hiscock does know his new dark blue Dodge Durango has been destroyed. It was parked in the underground parking beside the hydro vault.

While the investigation is in the early stages, investigators do know the explosion took place in the underground hydro vault located beside the building.

“The blast was substantial because it was confined,” Hiscott said. “We’ve got damage from one end to the other.”

Smoke quickly billowed outside, as well as throughout the building travelling through the elevator shaft and the ventilation system. The explosion lifted the concrete ceiling on top of the box, as well as the asphalt on top of that.

A fire truck at the scene Sunday was lifted too. The basement filled with water that reached a peak of four feet, vacuum trucks were on scene Monday trying to drain the water.

Nine firefighters were sent to hospital, three with second degree burns and six for smoke inhalation.

Toronto Fire Chief Bill Stewart said all are now at home and in good health.

Officials said while they had yet to determine the cause of the explosion, the hydro box was not at peak capacity when the incident happened. Toronto Hydro said regular maintenance was done on the box in January 2006 and there was no indication of any issues at that time.

Abdul Laazizi wasn’t at home when the explosion occurred, but he and his neighbours said there were some issues Saturday night.

“The power almost went out and the water was running very hot after that,” he said, adding his neighbour smelled something that wasn’t quite right.

When he returned home at 6 p.m. Sunday he knew what had happened. He and his wife and their two-year-old son are staying with friends and have no intention of moving back into their 17th floor apartment.

About 80 residents who didn’t have family or friends close by who they could stay with slept at the school Sunday night. It will remain open for those who need it while the city helps people find more permanent housing.

“We’re now shifting into a different stage and that is to find housing,” said Ward 31 (Beaches-East York) Councillor Janet Davis. “The resident are remarkably calm and composed and have shown tremendous strength.”

The Red Cross and Salvation Army were offering assistance at the relief centre, as were social services, public health and the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

Hiscock and Perrin-Noon spent Sunday night sleeping at her mother’s on the couch.
They’re not sure where they’ll go for the long-term, but they will be looking for a new place to live.

The city also asks those residents who are staying elsewhere to register at the centre. Regular updates will be posted to the city of Toronto’s website, www.toronto.ca and a hotline is being established.