City of Toronto issues unsafe building orders after major Zanzibar fire

The City of Toronto has issued unsafe building orders for Zanzibar and two adjacent properties following a major fire at the well-known strip club early Sunday. A building inspector visited the establishment hours after the fire and discovered fire-related damage that posed a potential hazard to those inside, outside, or attempting to access the building.

The owner was instructed to bring in a professional engineer after Toronto Fire Services completed their evidence gathering. The engineer's mission was to evaluate the building's structural stability and assess the risk of additional collapse due to the fire and firefighting activities. The property was directed to be fenced off, and the engineer was required to oversee access until it was deemed safe.

Similar orders were issued to the neighboring properties. Firefighters were dispatched to Zanzibar around 6 a.m. on Sunday after reports of thick smoke in the area. At a press conference, Toronto Fire Services chief Jim Jessop stated that the damage was substantial, with part of the roof collapsing. He added that the incident commander's decisions saved the rest of the block, and there were no injuries as no one was inside the building at the time.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but no evidence suggests it was suspicious. Zanzibar's owner, Allen Cooper, expressed devastation following the incident and optimism for the future. The adult entertainment industry in Toronto has long relied on Zanzibar as a major destination, and the building's history includes various transformations since its opening in 1949 as a tavern.