A seniors' residence had to be evacuated Thursday night after a generator malfunctioned and caught fire.
The incident happened at a building on Papineau Ave. between Belanger St. and St. Zotique Blvd., which was in the region affected by a massive electricity outage caused by a series of underground explosions on Thursday.
Hydro Quebec equipment caught fire around the lunch hour Thursday, shutting down the Blue Line of the metro and at its peak cutting electricity to 21,000 homes and businesses.
The seniors' residence is about 10 blocks to the east of where the blasts occurred.
Around 10:30 p.m. the building's emergency generator burst into flames, and firefighters then rushed to the scene to extinguish the two-alarm fire.
Firefighters and police officers helped the residents get out of the building. About 85 were brought to a nearby community centre, while several others went to stay with relatives.
The fire caused about $50,000 in damage, but residents should be able to return home later in the day.
