Five-alarm Ville-Marie blaze forces 6 families from their homes

MONTREAL – Six families are homeless after a fire tore through a duplex on Frontenac Street, near de Rouen Street in Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough.

According to Marwan Shedeed, spokesperson for the Montreal fire department, the blaze broke out shortly after 3. a.m. Saturday.

Shedeed said the fire started in the back of the duplex, housing a business on the first floor and a residence on the second floor, and quickly spread from the ground floor to the roof and then to an adjoining triplex.

More than 30 teams of firefighters tackled the five-alarm blaze.

Shedeed said  it took more than 100 firefighters over eight hours to bring the blaze under control, adding that crews were still on site to ensure the fire did not re-ignite.

Damage to the buildings is estimated to be around $150,000, but residences in both buildings are a total loss.

No one was injured but 10 people were evacuated and taken in charge by the Red Cross. Shedeed confirmed that the evacuees will not be able to return home.

According to investigators, the fire was caused by a discarded cigarette.