Five-alarm fire rips through downtown Montreal building, 2nd major fire in a week
150 firefighters and around 50 vehicles were needed to tackle the Crescent Street blaze
Around 150 firefighters and 50 vehicles were at the scene of a five-alarm fire in downtown Montreal on Tuesday morning.
Montreal fire department section chief André Laflamme said a fire broke out just before 2 a.m. in a three-story building on Crescent Street, near the intersection of René-Lévesque Boulevard.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but Laflamme said it started on the second floor and quickly spread the third floor and the roof.
The building, he said, was unoccupied and not supplied in electricity.
No one was injured in the blaze, but a neighbouring building was evacuated.
Laflamme said two residents are being housed by the Red Cross due to water damage in their unit.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
By 6:45 a.m., Laflamme said there was no more smoke or flames that were visible, but firefighters were still looking for possible hotspots.
A perimeter was set up on Crescent Street between Sainte-Catherine Street and René-Lévesque Boulevard. Motorists were being asked to avoid the area.
The blaze marks the second five-alarm fire in the downtown area in the last week.
Last Tuesday, a fire destroyed a 140-year-old building located on Towers Street.
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