Montreal Fire Department

Second fire in nearly two weeks in CDN-NDG

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Firefighters were still on the scene of a fire that broke out the morning of Sunday, September 14. The fire was in an abandoned building on Elmhurst and Harley in the CDN-NDG borough, around the corner from the fire that displaced 16 households in a building at Westmore corner St. Jacques nearly two weeks ago.

The Montreal Fire Department was called to the scene just after 9 a.m. The fire started in an abandoned and boarded-up apartment building. Since it was abandoned, there was no electricity or gas hooked up to the building, although a truck from Energir was on the scene anyway. Police had the streets blocked off in the area. By about 11:30 there were more than 90 firefighters at the scene.

There were no injuries reported. And an adjacent building was evacuated.

Desirée McGraw, Liberal MNA for NDG, was also on the scene later in the day. She pointed out that building, which is owned by the Societe d’habitation du Québec (SHQ) has been abandoned since 2017. “For the three years, I have been working to restore three boarded-up social housing buildings, including this one.” She wrote that she has repeatedly tried to get the Quebec government to demolish the building and replace it with social housing. “The government’s inaction in this matter,” she wrote, “constitutes negligence, and this morning’s fire is the predictable consequence.”

And then she added “My thoughts also go to the neighbourhood residents, who had to endure the enormous cloud of smoke and the inconvenience caused by the work. It is clear that their fears about the risks this abandoned building poses to the neighbourhood have unfortunately been confirmed.”

The smoke from the fire could be seen rising into the sky from several points in the city. The smoke and fumes wafted into Montreal West.

Firefighters were on the scene for most of the day. n

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Lachine apartment fire results in two injuries

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A residential fire broke out in a six-storey apartment building in Lachine late Wednesday night, March 13, prompting a rapid response from the Montreal Fire Department.

The incident required the deployment of approximately 20 firefighters to the scene, according to officials.

The blaze, which started shortly after midnight in the Daly & Morin complex on Victoria Street near 19th Avenue, resulted in two individuals requiring treatment for smoke inhalation. Emergency medical services provided immediate care to the affected residents on site.

“The swift response of our firefighting teams helped prevent the fire from spreading to other units,” a Montreal Fire Department spokesperson stated. The damage to the building structure has been classified as minor, though several units sustained smoke damage.

This incident occurs amid growing concerns about fire safety in the borough. Just last month, 35 residents were evacuated from another Lachine apartment building on Ivan-Franko Street due to imminent fire risks, following weeks without proper heating and hot water service.

The Red Cross was on scene Wednesday night to assist affected residents, though most were able to return to their units once firefighters completed their intervention and ventilated the building.

Fire investigators remained on site through early Thursday morning to determine the exact cause of the blaze. Preliminary findings suggest that the fire originated in one of the upper floor units, though the specific cause remains under investigation.

The Montreal Fire Department reminds residents of the importance of maintaining functional smoke detectors and having an evacuation plan in place. Residents can request a free fire safety inspection by contacting their local fire station or calling 514-872-3800.

“We’ve seen an increase in residential fire calls this winter,” noted the department spokesperson. “It’s crucial for residents to remain vigilant and report any potential fire hazards to building management or the fire department immediately.”

Smoke inhalation remains one of the main causes of injuries resulting from residential fires, particularly in buildings that do not maintain up-to-date fire prevention devices.

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