Fire at Pass-to-Cape: "Wicked Explosion"

Firefighters received a call at 6:10 p.m., before the first vehicles arrived, to report an explosion. “The barbecue was on fire, the safety valve of the propane bottle was open, it showed a flame, and the fire had already spread to the false floor and roof of the building,” reports chef Jean-Philippe Fordin. Activities in the Trois-Rivières Fire Protection and Civil Protection Department.

The roof of the building collapsed. (Eric Faucher/Le Nouvelliste)

The roof of the building collapsed in the fire. “To put out the roof, you have to put in a lot of water, which causes a lot of damage to the houses. On the other hand, the shelters did not catch fire, it was actually the shell of the building that caught fire,” says the firefighter.

Around 7 p.m., hundreds of onlookers gathered around the emergency perimeter as a few dozen firefighters battled the blaze. Many have confirmed News writer saw the manifestation of fire.

According to several witnesses, the fire was started by an unattended barbecue on one of the balconies on the first floor. (Jade Brouillette/Le Nouvelliste)

“When the bottle exploded, it scattered everything. It almost exploded the top,” says Patrice LaFrance, a neighbor of the affected building. “It took a while for the firefighters to get there. Maybe about twenty minutes,” he adds, witnessing a local resident call emergency services immediately.

“Bad explosion,” the man continues. “Luckily it happened during the day and they were able to get out from the back because they couldn’t get out from the front. Immediately in front of the door was the fire.

Around 7 p.m., hundreds of onlookers gathered around the emergency perimeter as a few dozen firefighters battled the blaze. (Eric Faucher/Le Nouvelliste)

“We went until the fifth alarm, we had the help of the city of Saint-Maurice. In total, 45 firefighters were on the scene. At the moment, the cause is in the expertise,” says Jean-Philippe Fordin. Except for one person who was taken by ambulance due to smoke inhalation, during the incident No injuries were reported.

“We’re still in the process of doing what we call clearing to make sure all the smoldering fires are put out,” he pointed out, adding, “We still have a few more hours to go.” Off, then we will hand over the building to the owner.”

Of the six affected houses, three families had to call the services of the Red Cross to evacuate, while others sought shelter with relatives. It is too early to say whether the building will be rebuilt or demolished. “It’s an insurance decision,” the operations chief underlines.

The fire caused a power outage in the surrounding area throughout the night.