One person was confirmed dead and another is recovering in hospital after a building on the corner of De Maisonneuve Blvd. and Marlowe Ave. went up in flames last night.
Shocked residents and passers-by looked on as paramedics carried bodies out on stretchers from the third floor of 2008 Marlow Avenue. Stacy Branton said she was cooking dinner with her boyfriend when she smelled smoke and ran outside to see what was happening. “That’s when I saw the flames and knew that my building was on fire, I was terrified,” she said.
Gabrielle, another resident of 2008 Marlowe said she was still waiting for news about the state of her apartment. “I’m worried about my belongings and I don’t know where I’m going to sleep.” She said she had no idea what started the blaze.
Montreal fire department spokesperson Remi Perry told the Concordian last night that while the situation was under control a total of 12 apartments in the complex were destroyed. “We have arraigned accommodations for residents of the building,” he said.
“Two people were found unconscious and one died from smoke inhalation and severe burns to his face. The injured are at the General Hospital getting treatment,” said Perry, saying he hoped there would be no more casualties. “Our investigators are on the scene and we do not know yet what caused the fire.”
Perry speculated that it was most likely a “structural fire” that started inside one of the walls of the building. “The fire started on the second floor in apartment number nine and spread from there,” he said.
One witness who was on the scene saw parts of the brick building fall to the ground “look at that, half the wall is coming off,” she said. “The whole building is coming apart.”
De Maisonneuve Blvd. was cordoned off with yellow tape in front of Vendome Metro station while police officers informed commuters where they could catch the 105 bus.
Pedestrians and traffic were forced to make a detour onto Sherbrooke St. in order to bypass the scene of the fire.
