Montreal Five-Alarm Fire Displaces 28 Families Near Atwater Market

At least 28 families are affected and their top-floor units rendered uninhabitable after a fast-moving, five-alarm fire tore through the roof of a Montreal condo building near Atwater Market. Firefighters took four hours to extinguish the blaze, which broke out Sunday afternoon and tore rapidly through the attic space while residents were forced to evacuate.

Fire Spreads Rapidly Across Newly Redone Roof

The fire broke out on the roof Sunday afternoon and spread quickly across the building. Martin Guilbault, a division chief and communications officer with the Montreal fire department, explained that the fire’s speed posed the primary obstacle for crews. The big challenge for firefighters was that the fire was going really rapidly across the attic of the roof, Guilbault noted, adding that they had to work extremely fast as the flames advanced.

Shah G. was in the area when plumes of smoke began rising from the roof. He ran into the courtyard and started hitting buzzers at the entrance, screaming for residents to get out. Condo residents frequently hear alarms and assume they are false alarms, he observed.

The building recently had its roof redone. While twenty-eight of the building’s 56 condo units were evacuated, no injuries were reported during the incident.

Residents Escorted Back Inside for Personal Essentials

On Monday, firefighters escorted residents back into the building one at a time to collect small essentials such as laptops and passports. Carole Paris, a resident and the president of the condo board, described the emotional toll on her neighbours. We want to make sure all the people that are allowed to go, we want to reach them to know, because it’s the chance they have, Paris told CTV News. After that it will be inaccessible, and we don’t know for how long.

The Red Cross assisted one family following the evacuation, while the remaining residents found their own temporary accommodations. The top floor of the structure suffered severe damage and is uninhabitable, while the lower floors sustained smoke and water damage.

Investigation Continues Into Cause of Blaze

The Montreal fire department has not yet determined what caused the fire. The investigation remains ongoing.