'Intense' rescue operation: 1 missing, 9 injured in Old Montreal fire
In what firefighters are calling a "very intense" rescue operation, at least one person is missing, and nine others injured in a five-alarm fire in Old Montreal.
"When firefighters first arrived, there were flames coming out the windows. There were several people trapped in windows, on the roof. There were at least four people rescued with ground ladders. Other people rescued by aerial ladders on the roof," said Richard Liebmann, chief director of the Montreal fire department.
One person leaped from the second floor of the three-storey building on the corner of du Port Street and Place d'Youville
More than 120 firefighters battled the blaze and helped the trapped victims.
"Our first priority is always to save lives. It was a very intense rescue operation at the beginning," said Liebmann. "We did everything we can to try to help the people as quickly as possible."
The missing person may have been a short-term renter and is therefore difficult to track down, but it also means other short-term renters could be missing.
"We don't know how many other people may be missing because several apartments were also Airbnb rentals," said Liebmann.
Investigators from both the fire department and Montreal police are working to track down whoever may have been in the building.
More than 120 firefighters were called to a 5-alarm fire on du Port Street and Place d'Youville in Montreal's Old Port on March 16, 2023. (CTV News/Olivia O'Malley)
Liebmann said that nine people were transported to the hospital: three in serious condition and six with "relatively minor" injuries. None of the injuries are life-threatening injuries.
One firefighter was evaluated for contamination after getting blood from one of the victims in his eyes, but no other firefighters were injured.
The blaze began around 5:45 a.m. Around 7:30 a.m. firefighters were focused largely on preventing the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.
"That's why we have [so] many firefighters on the scene," said Martin Guilbault, operations chief for the Montreal fire department (SSIM).
"We went into defensive fire attack to try and preserve the surrounding buildings to make sure there's no fire spread to adjacent buildings," added Liebmann.
By 9 a.m., most of the flames were extinguished.
Guilbault said it's "too early" to determine the cause of the fire.
More than 120 firefighters were called to a 5-alarm fire on du Port Street and Place d'Youville in Montreal's Old Port on March 16, 2023. (Sofia Ajram)
Stephanie Hlavin, a tourist from North Carolina, was staying at a neighbouring hotel when the fire broke out.
"At first, you're like, 'Oh, it's just another hotel alarm' -- I've been in one many times before. But we smelled smoke, so we just got up, scrambled, went outside," she recounted.
"Immediately, the smoke was really overwhelming. We had to move down the street. It was really frightening."
Liebmann issued a reminder to ensure smoke detectors are functioning and people react when they go off.
"We really want to emphasize the importance of smoke alarms, being warned as early as possible when there's smoke or fire to have the time to get out," he said. "Fire can spread very, very quickly in any type of building, so we want to make sure that people have as much time as possible to get out."
It's unclear if the building, built in 1890, is a total loss, but the roof collapsed, and the interior was destroyed.
"We've got structural engineers that are coming in. we're going to do everything we can to save what's left of the building," said Liebmann. "We understand the historical value of the building and its importance."
No adjacent buildings were damaged.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.