A fire in an industrial building at 11650 6th Ave. in Riviere des Prairies caused about $600,000 in damage and left an entire area without electricity Friday evening.
The fire erupted after an employee manipulated a vehicle battery with a cloth that contained traces of a chemical that reacted with chemicals in the battery.
The garage suffered about $500,000 in property damage, while the building suffered about $100,000 in damage.
The employee suffered burns to his hands.
About 30 firefighters arrived at the scene at about 5:30 p.m. and managed to put the fire out about two hours later.
About 2,000 homes and businesses in the area were temporarily left without electricity.
