Major fire in Verdun leaves 18 families without a home

A major fire in a triplex left 18 families homeless after the evacuation of two adjoining buildings Monday night in Montreal’s Verdun borough.

The fire started shortly after 6 p.m. in a first-floor apartment before quickly spreading to the second and third floor units and the two adjacent triplexes on 4th Avenue.

Given the magnitude of the blaze, a fifth alarm had to be triggered to mobilize more firefighters, while 150 firefighters were already on site fighting the flames.

The tenants of all three buildings were evacuated and some families were taken care of by the Red Cross, while others were relocated on their own.

There were no major injuries, but one firefighter was hit in the ankle and was transported to hospital.

Firefighters were finally able to bring the fire under control shortly before midnight, but families will not be able to return to their homes.