Five-alarm fire breaks out in Verdun, forcing evacuations

Firefighters were called to the scene of a major fire in Verdun Thursday afternoon.

The fire started about 2:50 p.m. near the corner of Wellington and 1st Avenue, said Montreal Fire Prevention Division Chief Francis Fleury.

Three buildings that are attached were ablaze, he said, explaining that the fire started on a second-floor balcony in the rear.

The buildings house nine apartment units in total and all have been evacuated.

The day’s hot weather made fighting the fire even more difficult, he said, and is one reason it was declared a five-alarm fire. A five-alarm fire means there are 125 firefighters fighting the blaze, he said.

Three firefighters needed to stop because of the intense heat and one resident suffered smoke inhalation but nobody was transported to hospital as of 4:15 pm.