MONTREAL -- A poorly extinguished cigarette butt on a balcony could be the cause of a fire that ravaged an eight-unit building in Quebec City on Thursday.
The fire broke out shortly after 9 p.m. in the building, located on Lapierre Avenue in the Saint-Émile sector.
Sixty-five firefighters responded to the four-alarm blaze, evacuating 14 people from their homes.
One person suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated by paramedics.
According to firefighters, the blaze started on a second-floor balcony before spreading to the third floor, up to the roof.
Firefighters were able to prevent the flames from jumping to the building next door.
Power was interrupted in the area, affecting 2,500 Hydro-Quebec customers for several hours.
A Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) bus was called in to shelter the evacuees; Canadian Red Cross personnel were also onsite to offer help.
Firefighters are working to confirm the exact cause and origin of the fire.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 6, 2021.
