A chief of operations with the Montreal fire department was injured early Sunday morning while battling a four-alarm blaze in the city’s Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district.
The fire broke out on a back balcony of a three-storey building near the intersection of de la Salle Avenue and Boulianne Street at around 12:30 a.m.
“It quickly spread to all three floors and into the building,” said fire chief Ian Ritchie.
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More than 100 firefighters were called in to tackle the blaze.
“It was hot and humid, so we had more personnel than regular,” Ritchie said, adding that more personnel allows firefighters working in extreme heat conditions to rotate teams more quickly.
The building was evacuated and 12 people living in five units were taken in charge by the Red Cross.
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The chief of operations was injured after he slipped and fell off a ladder. It is unclear whether he was going up or down at the time.
“He fell about 10 to 12 feet,” Ritchie said.
He was taken to hospital, but has since been released, according to Ritchie.
“He was banged up and bruised, but there were no fractures,” he said.
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The case was transferred to the arson squad after investigators with the fire department were unable to determine the cause of the blaze.
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