A 16-unit apartment building was destroyed by flames on Friday, May 24, leaving some thirty people homeless. The fire occurred at 322 rue Jeanne-Mance and required the intervention of some sixty firefighters from the region, including crews from Vaudreuil-Soulanges. 

At the time of writing, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield fire chief Christian Poulin confirms that the probable cause of the blaze was a cigarette butt thrown into a flowerpot. 

The call reporting the presence of flames and smoke was forwarded to 911 at around 5:45 pm. “Our response ended at around 2.30am on Saturday morning, and the fire was brought under control by around 11pm. Teams from neighbouring brigades - Beauharnois, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Sainte-Barbe, Saint-Zotique and Coteau-du-Lac - came to lend a hand. We were also able to count on the support of the UCMU to provide food and drink to the sappers taking part in this intervention. Fortunately, no injuries were reported,” he sums up. 

The only difficulty encountered by the firefighters on the scene, who were led by Chief Joël Vinet-Lebel, was positioning the fire engines on rue Jeanne-Mance, which is a cul-de-sac in the area where the incident took place. 

Extensive damage was caused to the building's roof and 4th floor, suggesting that tenants will have to relocate for several months due to the upcoming renovation work. 

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors were particularly badly damaged by water and smoke. However, it will be many months before the remaining tenants can return to their homes.