A highrise apartment building in north Toronto had to be evacuated after it was badly damaged by a five-alarm fire that erupted Friday afternoon and quickly spread to several floors.
Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said Saturday morning that firefighters discovered the deceased person on an eighth floor balcony.
About 100 firefighters and 22 trucks raced to the scene as flames and smoke belched from the building.
Some terrified tenants went out on their balconies where witnesses say they could be heard screaming for help.
Chief Pegg said several people were rescued, and that at least one was taken to hospital where they were listed in stable condition.
Transit buses were brought to the scene in North York to shelter many of the tenants.
Chief Pegg later tweeted that the building's electricity was being disconnected and all the tenants evacuated for safety reasons.
He said emergency shelter plans were being organized for those needing assistance.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire.