Piles of debris are an indication of the aftermath of Monday’s fire in Saint-Michel. Roughly 150 firefighters responded to a call that had residents trapped on balconies. Though the Montreal fire department says it’s too soon to identify the cause. “The next step is the investigation,” says spokesperson Martin Guilbault. Derek Waugh has been a resident since 2013 and he says the building was known to have false alarms. “I think that may be one of the reasons why people were stuck on the balconies,” he says. “I got lucky that a firefighter found me on the third floor, brought me out to the balcony, and was able to bring me down on the step ladders. But, yeah, it was really scary,” he tells CTV. One of the businesses on the main floor of the building is a nail supply store called Gina Beaute. Those in the area - including the owner of the adjacent daycare - say the store was known to sell highly flammable products. CTV News spoke with the owner of the Garderie l’academie de Saint-Michel, who says she’s been concerned about that. Seventy children were also forced from the building following the fire. CTV News reached out to the owner of the building and to the owner of the business but did not hear back. Meanwhile, 36 families are left wondering what will happen to their place. In a statement to CTV News, the Red Cross said it had assisted 30 families with food, clothing and hotel accommodations as of midday Tuesday, but only 72 hours of accommodations are guaranteed. Still, residents say they’re grateful that everyone made it out.
