A harrowing scene unfolded just after 10:30 a.m. Monday morning when a two-alarm fire broke out in the rear kitchen area of Hong Shing Chinese Restaurant.

Traffic was halted as plumes of smoke rose from the establishment at the southeast corner of Dundas and Centre, which has gained notoriety over the years for late-night brawls and racial discrimination of patrons.

Crews responded to reports of a fire on the scene, with a rush call for firefighters as someone was reportedly trapped in the restaurant basement. A follow-up report states that the woman was rescued and is being assessed for possible smoke inhalation.

FIRE:
Dundas St W + Centre Av
- Fire Crews still dealing with fire
- Roads closed on Dundas St W
- No traffic getting through
- Please use alternate routes
^dh pic.twitter.com/D2f9jEfqsq

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) November 29, 2021

Photographer Julinda Morrow was perched 23 levels above the scene of the fire in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel to the southeast, witnessing the incident by happenstance.

"I was kindly moved to a higher floor room. I got settled in and was just checking out the new view," Morrow tells blogTO. "Seeing the billowing smoke, I grabbed my phone (the only device available) and started filming. Thankfully, the fire services were quick to get the situation under control within an hour."

Never a dull moment in the big city. Still at hotel, view from the 23rd floor. 🚒 #Toronto pic.twitter.com/aUrgcKD5Ku

— Julinda (@JulindaMorrow) November 29, 2021

A Toronto Fire spokesperson tells blogTO, that the fire broke out on the main floor in the restaurant kitchen. Despite reports of the woman being trapped, she was checked out on the scene by EMS crews, and luckily, walked away from the scene with no injuries.

The news comes as a big setback for Hong Shing, which just recently launched a pop-up menu at Rebel nightclub.