A stubborn early morning blaze has destroyed a building in the city’s west end.

Firefighters were called to a building on Dundas Street West just east of Prince Edward Drive North at around 5 a.m. Sunday morning.

They were met with thick, heavy smoke and flames coming from the building which houses a Persian rug store and an apartment on the second floor.

At one point the fire was escalated to a fourth alarm when one of the firefighters issued an emergency call.

“We did have a mayday after one of the firefighters that was trying to exit the building got disoriented,” explained Division Commander Len Stadler. “Fortunately he was able to self-evacuate and he didn’t sustain any injuries.”

A retirement home to the west of the fire experienced some issues with smoke migrating into the building and one person needed to be treated.

TTC buses were also been brought in to help with sheltering people briefly displaced by the fire.

More than four hours after being called to the scene crews managed to knock down the blaze.

The Office of the Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate