Fire forces evacuation of residents in Old Quebec

Around 1 a.m., firefighters from the Quebec Fire Protection Service (SPCIQ) were called to an apartment building on fire near the intersection of rue Saint-Louis and rue Sainte-Ursule.

Upon their arrival, they noticed that gray smoke was visible towards the rear of the building. A strong smell of smoke also hung in the air.

SPCIQ firefighters quickly located the source of the flames. The fire was located at the rear of the building in a storage room on the third floor. The firefighters therefore evacuated the 11 residents of the building.

Since the fire threatened to spread to the fourth floor and the roof, a 3rd alarm was triggered. More than 50 firefighters took part in the intervention.

For the smooth running of the intervention and to protect the fire hoses, officers from the Quebec City Police Service (SPVQ) blocked certain streets and controlled traffic in neighboring streets.

A Capital Transport Network (RTC) bus and representatives of the Red Cross came to the site to welcome the evacuees. A civil security coordinator was also on site to liaise with the victims and the Red Cross.

Restricted damage

Around 3 a.m., the situation was declared under control by the operations manager. There were no injuries during the intervention.

Once the fire was extinguished, firefighters continued to check the building. Damage was located on the third floor and the stairway between the third and fourth floors.

The Fire Department is on site to determine the cause and most likely origin of the fire.