Montreal Fires Draw 150 Firefighters to Two Neighborhoods

Two major fires prompted large-scale emergency responses in Montreal, with approximately 150 firefighters battling a five-alarm blaze in Saint-Michel on Monday afternoon and another 150 responding to a three-alarm fire in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on Monday evening. The incidents affected residential and commercial buildings, displaced residents in Saint-Michel, and left the cause of both fires undetermined.

The Saint-Michel fire broke out shortly before 1 p.m. Monday at a residential-commercial building near the intersection of Crémazie East and Saint-Michel Blvd., close to Highway 40, according to CityNews Montreal. Three people were reportedly taken to the hospital with minor injuries after inhaling smoke.

The building contained approximately 30 apartments on its upper floors, while its ground floor housed commercial businesses and a daycare. CityNews reported that around 30 families were left homeless, although the full extent of the damage and the final number of displaced residents remained unclear.

Montreal Fire Department (SIM) section chief Francis Fleury described the conditions firefighters encountered as they arrived at the Saint-Michel scene.

"There was already smoke coming out of the building, there were people trapped on the balconies. The firefighters quickly rescued these people," said Francis Fleury, a Montreal Fire Department section chief.

Firefighters rescued residents who were trapped on balconies as flames and smoke spread through the structure. Authorities also confirmed that everyone at the daycare had been evacuated.

Fleury said the evacuation was complete and that the children were safe.

"The evacuation has been completed. We have no concerns regarding the children. They have been taken care of," Fleury said.

The building dates to the 1980s. Fleury said smoke and fire had become trapped within the structure, making suppression efforts particularly challenging as crews continued working to control the blaze.

"The building dates back to the 1980s. We're talking about a building that's not that old. But right now, we can see that the smoke and fire are trapped in the structure. The firefighters are therefore going to have to work very hard to be able to extinguish the fire," Fleury explained.

By mid-afternoon Monday, the Saint-Michel fire remained uncontrolled. The SIM asked the public to avoid the area around Crémazie East and Saint-Michel Blvd., a major traffic corridor where emergency operations could affect movement.

Later Monday evening, firefighters responded to a separate three-alarm fire at a three-story building in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. According to CityNews Montreal, crews received the call at approximately 9 p.m. after a fire was reported near the intersection of Rue du Frère-André and Rue Coronet.

The fire started at the rear of the building, which houses a restaurant and offices. Approximately 150 firefighters responded to the incident, and officials reported no injuries.

Authorities had not established the cause of the evening fire, but officials said there was no indication that it was criminal in nature. The cause of the Saint-Michel blaze also remained undetermined in the available reports.