10 families evacuated after more than 100 firefighters battle blaze in Montreal
Posted June 30, 2025 7:35 am.
Last Updated June 30, 2025 5:16 pm.
More than 100 firefighters battled a four-alarm blaze that destroyed nine units of a three-story residential building in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough on Sunday evening. No injuries were reported.
“I lost everything,” says Amine Faris, a tenant of the building.
“I was at work and my wife called me on the video and all what I see is our apartment is on fire,” Faris added. “There’s fire everywhere, people are screaming, people are panicking.”
The Montreal Fire Department (SIM) said it began its response at 7:15 p.m. at the intersection of Hadley and Cardinal streets. The operation ended just after 11 p.m.
A total of 10 families were evacuated by emergency services. The Red Cross was on the scene to provide food, shelter and clothing. The organization says it helped six families, putting four of them — a total of seven people — into hotels for the next three days.
#WATCH: “There’s fire everywhere,” said Amine Faris, a tenant, speaking about the residential building fire that left 10 families without homes after a four alarm fire in Montreal's Sud Ouest on Sunday night.
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) June 30, 2025
READ: https://t.co/qh9CBSjsBc pic.twitter.com/oUxSejcjRT
“Croix-Rouge gave us a hotel for three days,” Faris said. “They gave us some money to live these three days to eat and just buy clothes because we literally lost everything.”
The home of Dileep Karmaker, who lives next to the residential building, has also been impacted as much of his basement was flooded with water presumably used to fight the fire.
“Flame is a heavy flame,” he said. “When I saw it was terrible. Unbelievable.”
“They tried to stop the fire and the water and I don’t know how they worked, but my roof is also damaged,” Karmaker added. “They opened it and they put the water and inside there is water and it’s inundated now.”
Jerémy Deschênes, a 33-year-old who lived on the first floor will be staying with a friend, but has not been able to find his cat.
“That would be tough if he is dead,” he said. “I want he will be alive, but I don’t know.”
The SIM says the cause of the fire is still unknown and the investigation continues; the case has not been transferred to Montreal police for an arson investigation.
“It’s stressful. I don’t have insurance for the home,” said Deschênes.
“It’s so dark,” said Faris. “I try to see if there is some lights or something, but no. Everything is dark for the moment, but it’s fine, it’s destiny.”
–With files from La Presse Canadienne
