A man was pronounced dead on scene after an early-morning fire in Scarborough.

The blaze broke out inside an apartment building on Eglinton Avenue near Birchmount Road at around 5:15 a.m.

According to Acting Fire Chief Jim Jessop, crews arrived about five minutes after the initial 911 call and encountered heavy smoke inside a ground floor unit.

Firefighters then located a man without vital signs and pulled him to safety, however paramedics were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead on scene.

Two police officers also sustained minor smoke inhalation as a result of the blaze but did not require hospitalization.

“At this point the investigation is in its preliminary stages,” Jessop told CP24 at the scene. “Toronto Fire Prevention and the Office of the Fire Marshal are en route to initiate a post-fire inspection of the building and a post-fire investigation to determine cause and origin.”

The cause of the fire was later determined to be unattended cooking, according to a post on Twitter by Toronto Fire. The smoke alarm battery had been removed, they said.

Fire contained to one unit

The fire, which was contained to the originating unit, was knocked down shortly after the arrival of firefighters.

Jessop said that there was “not a significant amount” of fire damage but “a lot of smoke damage.”

The building, meanwhile, was initially evacuated however residents have since been given the all-clear to return to their apartments.

At this point few details are known about the victim, who was alone in the apartment at the time.

“It is a tragic loss. Anytime we loss a citizen to fire it is something we take extremely serious,” Jessop said.