Watch above: Four-alarm fire rips through residential building near St-Joseph’s Oratory
MONTREAL – Many families are homeless after a major fire tore through a residential building with 48 housing units near St-Joseph’s Oratory on Saturday night.
The fire appears to have started on the first floor of a four-floor apartment complex located at the intersection of Queen Mary and Cedar Crescent.
By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire had already spread to the third floor of the building, complicating efforts to extinguish the blaze.
By 8:00 p.m. more than a 100 firefighters were battling the four-alarm fire.
“The fire spread from one floor to the next through the ventilation ducts,” said Montreal fire chief Yvon Daunais.
“That caused enormous complications in our operations.”
Daunais confirmed that at least eight apartments are inhabitable due to water and fire damage.
As a result, many families will need to find new lodgings over the holidays.
Carl Boisvert, a spokesperson for the Red Cross, said that a team of volunteers had been deployed on the scene to assist the victims.
“We will offer them lodging and clothing for the next few days,” said Boisvert.
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