(Quebec) A 66-year-old man lost his life in a fire in a residence in Limoilou, Quebec, on Sunday.
The firefighters intervened around 12:30 p.m. for the presence of smoke at 1310, avenue Francois-1er. On the spot, they had to ask for reinforcement because of the confirmed risk of spreading the fire.
The chief called for a second alarm, which resulted in about 30 firefighters battling the blaze. All nearby homes were evacuated.
The 66-year-old man, located by the firefighters, was evacuated, but his death was found on the spot, reports the sergeant in the communications of the Service of police of the City of Quebec, David Poitras.
“Note that there was no smoke alarm inside the apartment,” adds the sergeant.
The fire was brought under control at 12:47 p.m. The flames have not spread to the other apartments in the building, which has 12, according to firefighters.
“Given that this is a fire with death, there will be concerted investigation work between the fire department, investigators from the Quebec City Police Department and the coroner to determine the causes. and the circumstances related to the deaths and the fire,” explains Mr. Poitras.
If the cause of the fire is not yet known, he indicates that the criminal hypothesis would be ruled out for the moment.
He specifies that the majority of the evacuees were able to return to their homes and that none of the victims had to be taken care of by the Red Cross.
The two-storey building, located near the Anse-à-Cartier park, was built in 1945 and includes 11 row rental units, according to the property assessment roll of the City of Quebec.
The building’s owner, a numbered company identifying itself as Everell Rentals on social media, said it was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Canadian Press.