Family-run Rona in Les Cedres gutted by fire

The Rona in Les Cedres was gutted by fire. (photo: Kevin Gallagher/CTV Montreal)

A family-run Rona hardware store was engulfed in flames early Sunday morning in Les Cedres, in the Montérégie region west of Montreal.

At least 100 firefighters from 15 nearby municipalities were called to the fire around midnight and continued to fight it well into Sunday as flames tore through the hardware like kindling.

“We had lots of dry wood and flammable products back there,” said Bernard Gauthier, who co-owned the store with his two brothers. “It caught fire, and spread quickly.”

Firefighters were required bring in water from offsite because there are no nearby hydrants. The fire chief explained that that is typical in that area.

Much of the structure had to be pulled down to help extinguish the flames, said Les Cedres fire chief Gilles Daoust.

“The fire was burning under layers of plywood,” said Daoust. “It was very hard for the water to reach.”

The store is a total loss, with damage that may amount to more than $2 million. Family members told CTV Montreal they are very determined to get business going again as soon as possible. The family has owned the business since 1992, as well as another Rona-affiliated store in Saint-Polycarpe.

The Les Cedres Rona employs 22 people.

Store manager and daughter of one of the owners, Dominique Gauthier was the first to arrive and thought of her newborn daughter as a family legacy burned.

“I was just remembering my youth when after school, I wasn't staying at school, I was going to the store, was like my babysitter. I was playing around with my cousins there,” she said.

The family is staying optimistic.

“It's very difficult, but for sure we're going to rebuild and we're going to be stronger and we have good customers that are going to come back when we're ready,” said Dominique Gauthier.

The cause of the fire is so far unknown. An investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished.

Les Cedres is just west of the Island of Montreal. Saint-Polycarpe is 30 kilometres west of Les Cedres.