By Edward Lander

An early-morning fire at Zanzibar Tavern closed a portion of Yonge Street near campus on Sunday.

Crews responded to reports of thick black smoke on the roof of the business around 6 a.m.

In a phone interview with The Eyeopener, Toronto Fire Services (TFS) said the bulk of the fire was extinguished as of 10:30 a.m.

“Crews are remaining on scene just to check for any hot spots,” said a spokesperson for TFS. “They’ll remain until they can confirm that the fire is completely out.”

In a post on X at 7:58 a.m., TFS wrote that, “Crews are actively fighting fire with areas of the structure now deemed compromised.”

During the blaze, the university issued a TMU Safe Alert advising students to avoid the area. The Student Learning Centre was also evacuated as a precaution. The alert was lifted at 10:58 a.m.

TFS told The Eye their investigations team has been engaged to determine the cause of the fire.

According to the club’s website, Zanzibar first opened in 1949 as a restaurant. The business was purchased by David Cooper in 1960 who transformed it into an adult entertainment venue. Cooper died in 2019.

Zanzibar is known by many students for its neon signage and gold-plated facade. The club celebrated its 75-year anniversary in 2024.

This story was updated at 1:10 p.m. on Aug. 16.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.