View photo gallery
The Buanderie Rivière-du-Loup business, located on Fraser Street, was completely destroyed by a violent fire which broke out around 3 a.m. on January 14. For the moment, the origin of the blaze is considered suspicious by the Fire Safety Service of the City of Rivière-du-Loup (SSIRDL).
An investigation to determine the causes of the fire will be carried out in collaboration with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), indicated the director of the SSIRDL, Éric Bérubé. “Certain clues on site lead us to believe that the origin of the fire could be suspicious,” confirms SQ spokesperson Frédéric Deshaies.
When the first fire crews arrived on the scene, they faced widespread conflagration, a wall of fire. “More than half of the building was already on fire. Our priority was to prevent the spread to neighboring buildings,” he says.
The general alarm was raised and around forty firefighters participated in this intervention. They had to deal with the presence of numerous dangerous materials inside the business. In collaboration with the SQ, firefighters evacuated around ten residences within the perimeter, including on Martin Street, south of the building. A gas station is also located near the blaze.
“It was a major intervention from the moment we arrived […] We made sure to close the propane tanks that were outside,” continues Mr. Bérubé. As it is a large building, assistance from the Saint-Antonin Fire Department was quickly requested.
-“The possibility of working with two ladder trucks is a valuable asset for us,” summarizes the director of SSIRDL. Electrical load shedding was carried out to allow workers to work safely.
The SQ will take responsibility for the scene once the fire is extinguished. The majority of evacuees were able to return to their homes during the night. No injuries have been reported.
Fraser Street is closed to traffic between Lafontaine and Joly streets while emergency services respond.
Canada
