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As further details emerge from Sunday morning's devastating events in the Downsview area that forced thousands of residents from their homes in the wee hours of the morning, it is with mixed feelings we offer comment.

On the one hand, we have a collection of multiple propane explosions in a largely residential area. The blasts had a profound and immediate effect on the lives of residents, business owners and travellers in the area. That the initial aftermath saw the shutting down of a significant stretch of Hwy. 401, widely considered North America's busiest highway, for what appears to be an unprecedented period of time (around 15 hours) says more than enough as to how critical this situation was.

That said, it could have been worse.

"I think the time of day saved us," acting Toronto Fire Chief Jim Shelton observed in a Monday afternoon press conference at City Hall. "The numbers of casualties we could've had would've been tremendous."

As it is, two lives have been lost. Any loss of life is tragic and lamentable: that a firefighter died in the line of duty is a stark reminder of the danger emergency services personnel face on a daily basis.

At City Hall, Mayor David Miller took a prudent step Monday by ordering a zoning review given that the source of the explosion was located at an industrial facility, one that was ensconced in a largely residential neighbourhood.

Simply put, anything less from City Hall would have been unacceptable. Part of any recovery process includes undertaking steps to find out what exactly went wrong, then to execute those measures to ensure the horrific episode is not repeated.

In this case, there are obvious questions that need clear and immediate answers and a review is a reasonable first step.

In the meantime, it is our sincere hope that the government bodies in question - the city and the province - get beyond the finger-pointing and work together to do what they can to help restore some semblance of order in residents' lives.

Given the size, scope and breadth of this incident, it's an eminently reasonable assumption that, as chaotic as things were Sunday, they could have been so much worse.

That sentiment may, understandably, provide little comfort for some in the coming days. It's now incumbent upon all involved to assess and repair the damage where possible.

And to take whatever steps necessary to ensure something like this doesn't ever happen again.