Seven families had to be taken care of by the Red Cross on Sunday morning following a violent fire which heavily damaged a building in the Hochelaga district of Montreal.
The fire started around 9:46 a.m. behind a building housing a Jean Coutu pharmacy on the ground floor, with apartments on the second and third floors. The flames then spread to the roof of the building, summarized William Murray, head of the prevention section at the Montreal Fire Safety Service.
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
- Photo QMI Agency, Mario Beauregard
The Montreal Fire Department had to sound a fourth alarm to deploy enough personnel to fight the blaze. About 105 firefighters and 31 vehicles attended the scene, Murray said.
A firefighter was slightly injured fighting the blaze and had to be transported to the Center hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal.
No one was injured on the side of the victims, but seven families found themselves on the street and had to receive help from the Red Cross, underlined the section chief.
The fire caused a huge plume of smoke visible for miles around, arousing the curiosity of several internet users.