Farm building partially damaged by fire in Sainte-Justine

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS. A farm building was partially damaged mid-afternoon Thursday at 570 rang St-Pierre in Sainte-Justine.

Director of the fire department for the eastern sector of Les Etchemins, Pierre Morneau stressed that the firefighters had been called to the scene around 2:10 p.m. following a call from the owners of the premises who discovered the fire on their return to the house.

When the first firefighters arrived, thick smoke and flames were escaping from part of the building which housed chickens and ducks, all of which perished in the fire. The rapid intervention of the firefighters and their hard work made it possible to save two thirds of the building, also indicates Mr. Morneau, specifying that the rest of the building was mainly used as storage space.

“The fact that it was compartmentalized and that there were a few walls helped to limit the flames from spreading too quickly. Fortunately also, the water supply in the area was facilitated by the presence of a dry hydrant,” explained Mr. Morneau, adding that a dozen firefighters from Sainte-Justine and Sainte-Rose, who came with water tankers, had taken part in the intervention which ended around 6 p.m.

Although the investigation has not yet been completed, Mr. Morneau stressed that the cause of the fire would be of accidental origin, adding that the malfunction of heating equipment not suitable for the building could be to blame.