![[EN IMAGES] A dog has lost its life in two major fires in Quebec](https://m1.quebecormedia.com/emp/emp/0e842550-0a8a-11ee-a247-bb4356c6af15_ORIGINAL.jpg?impolicy=crop-resize&x=0&y=153&w=1200&h=494&width=1200 "[EN IMAGES] A dog has lost its life in two major fires in Quebec")
A massive fire that destroyed three apartment buildings in Quebec’s Val-Bélair sector forced a family and their dog to take refuge on their balcony as they waited for help.
At 2:15 a.m., firefighters received the first call about flames on the roof of the building located on rue Chanteclerc.
When sappers arrived, people on the first two floors had already vacated the premises, but a mother and her daughter were trapped on a third-floor balcony.
Photo by QMI Agency, Guy Martell
“The first fire brigade rescued the mother and her daughter using a manual ladder. Flames came out of the roof of the victims,” explains Alexandre Lajoie, spokesperson for the Quebec City Fire Protection Service (SPCIQ).
Two people in the condo were treated by paramedics before being taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Their dog was also rescued shortly after.
Photo by QMI Agency, Guy Martell
The fire broke out at 1:15 a.m. in the basement of an apartment located on rue de l’Abbé-Ruelland, near avenue Gérard-Bajou, in the Beauport sector.
significant damage
During the rescue operation, the operation chief called a third alarm in order to send more men. A total of 50 firefighters rushed to the scene and first attacked the fire defensively from outside the building and extinguished the majority of the fire.
An unlikely aggravation was issued shortly before 4 a.m. and the incident was deemed under control by about 4:45 p.m. Unfortunately, the building could not be restored due to excessive damage.
“A firefighter was taken to the hospital center by paramedics as a precautionary measure following an illness,” said Mr. Lajoie said.
The fire department went to the spot and conducted an investigation. Although the cause is not yet known, the fire may have spread from the outer casing to the roof.
A dead dog
Shortly before this blaze started, the SPCIQ was busy releasing another one at around 1:15 a.m. in a house on rue l’Abbé-Ruelland, on the Beauport side.
Two alarms were called and about 35 firefighters rushed to put out the blaze from the basement. The situation was brought under control after an hour, but a dog lost its life in the incident.
An SPCIQ spokesperson notes that there are no working smoke alarms in the building.
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