1904 Toronto fire

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The 1904 Toronto fire was a fire that destroyed a large section of downtown Toronto, Canada on April 18, 1904.

The fire began at a neckwear factory at Wellington and Bay Street in the center of a large industrial area. The exact cause of the fire is still not known, but a faulty oven or electrical problem are suspected.

The fire began on the evening of the 18th and took nine hours to get under control. The battle was not aided by strong winds and sub-zero temperatures.

The fire destroyed 104 buildings, but killed no one. It did millions of dollars in damage and put five thousand people out of work, when the city only had 200,000 inhabitants. As a result of the more stringent safety laws were introduced and an expansion of the city's fire department was undertaken.