The Great Toronto Fire, April 19th 1904

George Scott & Co.

The Great Toronto Fire was a devastating blaze that destroyed 122 buildings and put 5,000 people out of work. The fire started in a clothing warehouse on Wellington Street and quickly spread, gutting thirteen acres of Toronto's prime commercial district. Special trains brought hundreds of firefighters from as far as Buffalo, New York. There was only one person injured -- the Toronto fire chief. Amazed firefighters and onlookers watched photographer George Scott and his assistant set up in the thick of the fire and film the burning buildings on Front Street. One of the first big Canadian film scoops, Scott's film was distributed throughout Canada and the United States.

Reference
ISN# 16107
Beyond the Printed Word: Newsreel and Broadcast Reporting in Canada = Au-delà de l'écrit : actualités filmées et reportages radio et télédiffusés au Canada. Ottawa: National Archives of Canada, 1988.

IDC: 357127