Historic photos from around Great Toronto fire of 1904, Toronto

Flames were first spotted rising from the elevator shaft of the E. & S. Currie Neckwear factory (58 Wellington Street West, west of Bay Street) just after 8PM on the night of April 19th, 1904. It took 9 hours to get the fire under control, and by the time it was put out, 104 buildings were destroyed, causing $10.3 million 1904 dollars in damage, but no deaths. The fire spread as far south as Front Street, but firefighters managed to keep it from spreading as far east as Yonge Street. Help came from as far away as from cities as far away as Hamilton, Ontario and special express trains from Buffalo, New York. Along with the photos below, the City of Toronto Archives has an insurance map of the fire and more details including a video online here.

List of all areas in Toronto or take a look at the historic photos by date. New! You can now access the photos by street address A subset of the photos have also been arranged by subject.

 
 

1904		The Great Fire of 1904 : City of Toronto Archives 121 years ago - Tuesday, April 19, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 5.6°C - Min temp: -5.0°C - 2.3cm of snowfall (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location
1904		Silent video footage of the 1904 Toronto fire 121 years ago - Tuesday, April 19, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 5.6°C - Min temp: -5.0°C - 2.3cm of snowfall (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location
1904		Ontario Government Archives entry for the Toronto 1904 fire 121 years ago - Tuesday, April 19, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 5.6°C - Min temp: -5.0°C - 2.3cm of snowfall (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location
1904		Where the Great Toronto fire of 1904 started. 121 years ago - Tuesday, April 19, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 5.6°C - Min temp: -5.0°C - 2.3cm of snowfall (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the Library and Archives Canada)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Front Street West looking north just east of Queen's Hotel 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: album covers 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: east of Bay Street, looking south-west 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Bay Street north of Wellington, looking south 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: east side of Bay Street at Melinda 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Bay Street north of the Esplanade, looking north at the horse drawn carriages 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: looking south from the Telegram building 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: ruins of the Wyld-Darling building 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Bay Street north of Wellington, looking south 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: The Esplanade west of Bay 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: The Esplanade west of Bay 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Front Street west of Bay 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Front Street at Bay looking east 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Toronto Fire ruins, looking north from foot of Bay Street to Old City Hall 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Front Street at Bay looking east 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Toronto Fire ruins, Front Street looking west from Yonge Street 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Bay Street looking south 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Toronto 1904 fire : Brown Brothers building on Wellington Street West, looking east from west of Bay Street 121 years ago - Wednesday, April 20, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the Toronto fire of 1904 121 years ago - Friday, April 22, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 10.6°C - Min temp: -3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the Toronto fire of 1904 121 years ago - Friday, April 22, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 10.6°C - Min temp: -3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Close up of the ruins after the Toronto fire of 1904 121 years ago - Friday, April 22, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 10.6°C - Min temp: -3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Inspecting the ruins after the Toronto fire of 1904 121 years ago - Friday, April 22, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 10.6°C - Min temp: -3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Railway lines at the south end of the Toronto fire of 1904 121 years ago - Friday, April 22, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 10.6°C - Min temp: -3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Toronto fire 1904, southeast corner of Bay and Wellington Streets 121 years ago - Friday, April 22, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 10.6°C - Min temp: -3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 : northeast corner of Bay and Front Streets 121 years ago - Friday, April 22, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 10.6°C - Min temp: -3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: streetcar tracks and hoses 121 years ago - Friday, April 22, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 10.6°C - Min temp: -3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: buckled streetcar tracks and bricks 121 years ago - Friday, April 22, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 10.6°C - Min temp: -3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1904		Aftermath of the 1904 fire: view from the Queens Hotel on Front Street 121 years ago - Friday, April 22, 1904 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Max temp: 10.6°C - Min temp: -3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1906		2 years later curio seekers find souvenir in 1904 Toronto fire ruins 119 years ago - 1906 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1906		Curio seekers in 1904 fire ruins still in ruins 119 years ago - 1906 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1906		Pottery recovered from great Toronto fire of 1904 119 years ago - 1906 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1906		Ironstone cups recovered from great fire 2 years later 119 years ago - 1906 - Great Toronto fire of 1904 Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)