Almost one week after the Thorncliffe Park blaze started, engineers and fire crews have officially decided they’ll need to destroy the wall to access the burning material and extinguish it.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Toronto Fire Services Chief Jim Jessop said city engineers have recommended causing “significant damage” to units with the adjoining burning wall.

“We understand this is hard to hear for those impacted,” he said. “We know residents are eager to return home and we share that urgency, but safety must come first.”

Jessop has called the five-alarm blaze, which originally started on Nov. 27, one of the “more complex” he's seen in his career. The fire has displaced residents in the buildings and many are now staying in hotel rooms while they wait to be told when the

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