A fire broke out Friday morning in a training centre in Vieux-Longueuil, sending a large plume of smoke into the area.
By early afternoon, firefighters had still not managed to control the blaze, and the building will 'probably' be a total loss, according to Mario Martin, division chief at the Longueuil fire department (SSIAL).
The Montérégie ambulance technicians cooperative (CETAM) confirmed there were no injuries.
Evacuations were carried out in the area to protect people from smoke inhalation.
There were 120 firefighters dispatched to fight the fire. Longueuil firefighters are being assisted by colleagues from La Prairie, Ste-Julie, Varennes and Chambly.
The fire department was called shortly before 10 a.m. concerning a fire in the Centre de formation professionnelle Charlotte-Tassé, on Lavallée St. The location was undergoing renovations and was closed.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire had spread throughout the building. White tarps were covering the building after decontamination work -- already completed a week ago -- which contributed to the thick black smoke, Martin said.
“We had three strikes against us already," he said.
At this point, the fire is believed to have been caused by a worker dropping a tool which emitted a spark.
Children from Marcelle-Robidoux elementary school had to be transported to Carillon school. On social media, the Marie-Victorin school service centre confirmed that there were no injuries and that all children were safe.
Parents can call (450) 463-7191 for further information.
“No other school in our school service centre is affected by this event," the centre wrote to social media.
