Four-alarm fire forces Rosemont residents to evacuate

Firefighters work to extinguish a four-alarm blaze that forced the evacuation of 30 residents from a Rosemont apartment building on Tuesday afternoon.

Montreal firefighters battled a four-alarm fire in Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie on Tuesday afternoon.

The Montreal fire department said the fire started around 2:09 p.m. on the roof terrace of a three-storey building, then spread to the attic.

“When firefighters arrived, there was already a major blaze,” said fire chief Francis Fleury.

The first floor of the building – a new construction – is commercial, while the two upper floors contain 30 residential units. Residents of all 30 units were evacuated.

By 4:20 p.m., the fire was almost completely under control, although firefighters were still checking for remaining heat sources.

No injuries were reported.

Fleury said the fire was upgraded to a four-alarm response due to the extreme heat. Additional personnel were dispatched to prevent firefighter heat stroke. In total, 120 firefighters responded to the scene.

The cause remains unknown, but the fire chief is reminding the public not to discard cigarette butts in potted plants on terraces.