Major factory fire in the Maskinonge, Que.

A major fire devastated an industrial building in the municipality Maskinongé, Que on Saturday.

According to Maskinongé Mayor Roger Michaud, the fire started around 11 a.m. at the main building of the Bermex factory south of Trois-Rivières, a furniture manufacturer and the municipality’s largest employer.

The mayor confirmed that the facility is a total loss. No injuries have been reported.

“An alarm went off. The factory is not far from the fire station. When firefighters arrived, there was already a lot of smoke coming from the building,” Michaud said, adding that the fire reportedly started at the back of the building and spread to the front.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

The building was empty at the time the fire started, with many employees already off for the holidays.

The mayor said fire departments from neighbouring municipalities, including Saint-Justin, Sainte-Ursule, Louiseville and Yamachiche, were dispatched to assist Maskinongé firefighters in extinguishing the flames.

The mayor did not know how many employees would be impacted by the fire but said that he is worried about the economic toll the loss the factory could have on his community.

“If they don't rebuild… I don't know. Maybe they will sell. That is what we are going find out later. But we hope they will rebuild so that our people can work,” Michaud said.

According to provincial police (SQ), part of Route 138 is currently closed.

Hydro-Quebec cut power to more than 2,000 customers as firefighters worked to bring the fire under control.