Nine minutes.

That’s how long it took for emergency officials to be notified of a fire blazing at 235 Gosford Blvd. in November, which was caused by a space heater being placed too close to combustible materials in an eighth-floor bedroom.

On Tuesday, the Ontario Fire Marshal released its investigative findings into the five-alarm blaze at the North York highrise, which killed one person and injured six others.

Heat from a portable heater placed near the mattress, bed and bedding in the bedroom of unit 808 caused the materials to catch fire on Nov. 15, said Richard Derstroff, fire investigations supervisor with the fire marshal’s office.

There were two people in the unit at the time. The surviving occupant told investigators they didn’t see a fire initially and ignored their battery-operated smoke alarm when it went off, Derstroff said.

After finding the fire, they tried putting it out rather than evacuating and calling 911 immediately.

Emergency officials were notified of the fire once a smoke detector in the eighth-floor common area activated the monitored alarm system.

By the time the alarm went off, nine minutes had gone by, Derstroff said.

“That’s a significant period of time for the fire to develop,” he said.

Eventually, the fire evolved into a five-alarm blaze and cause severe damage to the building, near Jane Street and Steeles Avenue West. In unit 808, one person was found dead on the balcony.

“At the time of arrival by emergency services, the fire conditions were such, that survival of the occupant and rescue by the firefighters was untenable,” the fire marshal’s said in a news release.

The fire forced 700 residents out of their homes. Some residents had to stay at a temporary emergency shelter that was set up at nearby York University. Some eventually stayed in a nearby hotel, put up by building management. Others made different arrangements.

According to a letter sent to residents on Jan. 29 from the building’s landlord, Ronkay Management, at least 29 units in the residential tower won’t be habitable for at least a year.

Derstroff advises residents to place space heaters at least one metre away from anything that can burn, and to not keep them running for long periods of time.

The fire marshal’s office also advise families to create a fire escape plan so they know where the nearest exits are.

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Finally, don’t ignore a smoke alarm, Derstroff said.

“Take it seriously,” he said. “Take fire safety seriously.”