[IMAGES] A factory in Sainte-Claire was destroyed by fire

More than fifty people have lost their jobs temporarily in Sainte-Claire, where a fire broke out in a foundry set up in the center of the village for decades.

“It was so fast and intense! I was shocked and the first time I saw this kind of fire,” said Jean-Philip Fordier, a citizen who witnessed the scene.

The man, who lives opposite the Soucy Belgen Foundry, captured striking images showing the power of the fire that devastated part of the building early Saturday.

“I woke up at 5:15 in the morning to take my son to work. When I got back, 15 minutes later, the fire was over! 2, Mr. Related to Fordier.

In a sign of the importance of the fire, firefighters were called in from eight municipalities in the Bellasas area. About 80 firefighters battled the blaze for more than five hours.

The heart of the village

Although the cause of the fire is not yet known, Bruno Coron, head of the fire department, explains that it originated in the warehouse and shipping compartment of the building.

The latter had to be significantly destroyed by a mechanical shovel to extinguish the hot spots of the fire, while other parts of the plant were damaged by water.

“The important thing is that there were no injuries and no nearby houses were affected,” said Saint-Clair Mayor Kyleine Opin.

“But the truth is that it affects a company that has been in the center of the village for many years. Everyone is shocked, ”she continued.

The affected site is the site of a former Lafarge foundry established in the industry in 1975, which was purchased in 2017 by Soucy Belgen.

“Bad times”

Sebastien Comtois, general manager of the foundry, said he was preparing a game plan to “start action as soon as possible”.

Nonetheless, there are fifty employees who will not be able to return to work on Monday morning, not to mention the many orders that are delayed.

“It’s happening at the worst possible time for workers, the cost of living is exploding,” laments Mayor Opin, who expects to wait “a few months” for operations to fully resume.