String of fires keep Montreal firefighters busy over the weekend

Montreal firefighters were busy over the weekend fighting three separate fires in less than 12 hours.

The first fire broke out at around 8 p.m. Saturday in an abandoned building on Chemin Ste-Marie in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.

Firefighters were notified by a motorist who saw the blaze from the Trans-Canada Highway.

Despite being classified as a one-alarm fire, it took crews three hours to put out the blaze.

Ian Ritchie, chief of operations for the Montreal fire department, explained that crews ran into difficulties due to the isolated location of the building.

There was no driveway leading to the building, meaning firefighters had to carry the water hoses a considerable distance.

While no one was injured in the blaze, the structure was destroyed.

The cause of the fire is not known and will likely never be known, according to Ritchie.

“There was too much damage to know the cause,” he said.

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Verdun fire leaves 6 families homeless

A neighbour alerted firefighters in Verdun after seeing flames on the roof of an apartment building across the street.

The fire was reported shortly before 2 a.m. ET. Sunday

Upon arrival, crews could see smoke coming from the roof of the three-storey building located at 412 4th Avenue in Verdun.

“Our primary concern was evacuating the residents,” Ritchie said.

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The fire started in the attic of the building and was likely caused by an electrical problem, according to Ritchie.

Because the fire was in the attic, Ritchie said the ceilings had to be taken down, causing extensive damage.

There were no reports of injuries but six families, including one with a small baby, were told they could not re-enter their apartments.

“They have been taken in charge by the Red Cross,” Ritchie told Global News.

Electrical fires are common in cold weather and Ritchie suggested people try to limit their use of electricity during peak times. He also recommended having only one appliance in each electrical outlet.

Saint-Laurent apartment fire injures 1

The third fire tackled by Montreal’s fire department broke out at around 5:30 a.m. Sunday in a three-storey apartment building on Tassé Street in Montreal’s Saint-Laurent borough.

The fire started on the balcony of a third-floor apartment, housing six people.

Damage was limited to the one apartment.

The building was evacuated and all but one family was allowed to return to their homes.

Ritchie said the cause has not yet been confirmed but firefighters believe the blaze could be smoking related.

While there were no fire-related injuries, Ritchie said one person was taken to hospital as a precaution, after slipping on the ice outside the building.