A destructive fire razed the Abritek factory, located on the 127 in record time.and Street, in Saint-Georges, in Beauce.
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The blaze broke out very late on Sunday evening and as soon as the first firefighters arrived, the fire broke out in the roof was already very intense.
The Sûreté du Québec is also investigating the origin of the fire at this door and window manufacturer.
The official cause is still not known, and even if the thesis of the criminal act is not ruled out, the police speak of a disaster of an “undetermined” nature.
After a hard fight for part of the night, the sappers were still watering the rubble which was still smoking, early Monday morning. A thick cloud of smoke billowed over the city.
At least two neighboring residences had to be evacuated. Fortunately, no one was injured. The sappers had to work hard to avoid the worst.
Despite some damage, the other buildings were saved. However, citizens were very afraid of losing everything.
Photo by Jean-Francois Racine
Firefighters were still watering the rubble stirred up by heavy machinery, Monday at midday.
Long night
“My neighbor called 911. It was urgent. Afterwards, we saw the firefighters watering the houses. The fire wanted to take in the forest too, ”explained Joseph Cloutier, plunged into darkness and worried until dawn.
Monday morning, the mayor of Saint-Georges, Claude Morin, showed up on the scene. He wanted to show his support for the factory owners.
“It was a little hot last night in Saint-Georges,” he dropped, ironically. “It’s one of our good plants, it was going very well,” continued Mr. Morin.
The mayor also praised the impressive work of the firefighters.
“They managed to get out of the oxygen and propane tanks, almost at the risk of their lives, he argues. A firefighter told me that it reminded him of Lac-Mégantic, in terms of the heat. It gives an idea. »
This disaster will inevitably have repercussions on the delivery of products intended for individuals, but also for promoters.
“There were three 53-foot trailers full of windows to deliver. It is certain that it will have an impact,” laments Mr. Morin.
Ruins
Shaken, the company’s third-generation leaders saw years of effort and memories go up in smoke.
The Dupuis family hopes to maintain all jobs since the pandemic has increased demand in the residential sector.
“Our order books are full. The priority is really to be with our teams. I found myself on the scene in the first minutes, before the firefighters. The time seems very long to us. We were lucky because if the wind changed, we lost several houses on the other street,” said Bianca Dupuis.
Highly combustible materials and some more toxic products have aggravated the situation.
Once the cleanup is complete, the plant will probably not be able to be rebuilt in the same place since it is not an industrial sector.
With acquired rights, the factory had expanded in a few phases, in a rather residential area.