Photo by Cole Burchell, Gleaner News

Residents of the Bathurst and Ulster streets area awoke to sirens early in the morning of Mar. 16 as a two-alarm blaze demolished a garage and did damage to the side of a house on Ulster Street. Vehicles parked in front of the garage suffered serious damage as well but no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is unknown, fire officials said. The blaze was reported at around 5:30 a.m. and fire crews had the flames under control 30 minutes later. Leigh Harrison, a resident on Bathurst Street whose balcony backs onto the scene of the fire, said she awoke at around 5 a.m. to her whole apartment being lit up by the glare and that “the fire was well underway by the time I left the house.” Harrison added that she had submitted noise complaints due to “rampant construction” on the property late last year. The City of Toronto Bylaw Investigation webpage confirms that 104 Ulster St. was the subject of a removal notice early last year. The house was said to be unsafe for multiple dwellings due to a lack of fire safety measures including fire alarm systems and adequate fire exits. Despite these concerns, up to 18 residents were living in the building at one point. The dwelling was renovated into a multiple-room household without a bylaw permit. Police on the scene did not comment on the blaze.

—Cole Burchell, Gleaner News