The City of Toronto has issued unsafe building orders for Zanzibar and two adjoining properties after a major fire at the well-known strip club early Sunday.According to new publicly posted documents, a building inspector attended the business at 359 Yonge St. hours after the fire and noted the fire-related damage created conditions “that could be hazardous to the health or safety of persons in the normal use of the building, persons outside the building or persons whose access to the building has not been reasonably prevented.”The order required the owner of Zanzibar to bring in a professional engineer after Toronto Fire Services investigators finish gathering evidence at the establishment. It required the engineer to advise on the building’s current structural stability and to “assess the potential for further collapse due to the fire and firefighting activities.”The document also said the property is required to be blocked off for access and that the engineer must supervise entry until it’s deemed the property is no longer in an unsafe condition. While CityNews was at the site on Monday, fencing could be seen in front of the building. The engineer is also required to file update reports with the municipality.Similar requests were made of the neighbouring properties.Firefighters were called to Zanzibar around 6 a.m. on Sunday after receiving reports of heavy smoke in the area. During an update Sunday afternoon, Toronto Fire Services chief Jim Jessop said firefighters also encountered heavy flames from the upper levels of the property.Related:Zanzibar owner vows to rebuild ‘bigger and better’ after fire compromises landmark building“The damage from what I’ve just toured is substantive,” he told reporters after visiting the property while confirming part of the roof collapsed.“The incident commander made decisions that, to be very honest, saved the rest of this block.”Jessop said there were no injuries as no one was inside, but the building along with the two adjoining structures saw smoke and water damage as a result of firefighting operations.While the investigation into the cause and circumstances of the fire is still in the early stage, he said there weren’t immediate signs that the blaze was suspicious in nature. CityNews spoke with Allen Cooper, the owner of Zanzibar, Sunday afternoon about the fire. He said he and his employees were “devastated” after hearing about what happened.“It was always a fear that something like this would happen,” he told reporters.“People come there for entertainment and to relieve their worries, so I like to think it’s, you know, it’s a happy place.”Related:Sex worker support organization hosts low barrier vaccine clinic at Zanzibar TavernDespite the fire, Cooper was optimistic looking toward the future.“We’re going to reopen stronger, bigger and better,” he vowed.When it comes to the adult entertainment industry in Toronto, Zanzibar is one of its major destinations and its history is as colourful as the bright gold cladding that surrounds the front of the building.The business originally opened in 1949 as a tavern, but Cooper’s parents took over the business in 1960. In the coming decades, it expanded to live entertainment. In the 1970s and 1980s, it envolved to incorporate more theatrical and design elements like water bed seats, a hydraulic stage complete with shower, and performers on swings.“The business evolved over time. It’s adult dancing. I think it’s an essential industry,” Cooper said.During the recent pandemic, the business like so many other sectors were affected by temporary closures. In 2021, it became a community destination as COVID-19 vaccines were offered to sex workers, others in the industry, and vulnerable individuals. window.plugins = {"ima3":{"ad_server_url":"http:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/ads?sz=640x360&iu=\/7326\/en.citynews_toronto.web\/video&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&ad_rule=1&cmsid=1224&env=vp&output=xml_vast2&unviewed_position_start=1&url={window.location.href}&correlator={timestamp}&vid={mediainfo.id}&title={mediainfo.name}&referrer={document.referrer}&duration={mediainfo.duration}&description_url=toronto.citynews.ca","syndicated_enable":true,"index_bidding_ad_server_url_exchange":{"index_bidding_ad_exchange_site_id":{"preroll":{"1":{"1":{"siteID":191890},"2":{"siteID":192079}}}}}},"moat":{"partner_code":"rogersbrightcoveint878700116445"},"streamsense":{"ns_st_pu":"\"Rogers\"","c2":"3005682","c3":"\"CITYNEWS\"","ns_st_st":"\"CITYTV\"","ns_st_stc":"\"5193\""},"chartbeat":{"uid":"55711","domain":"toronto.citynews.ca"},"omniture":{"site_catalyst_account":"rogersrmiglobal","site_catalyst_brand":"citynews toronto"},"adtitle":{"advertisement_title":"Advertisement"}}