It was 4:54 a.m. when 911 was notified of a fire in that residential area, located almost at the western end of Saint-Martin Boulevard, on the Sainte-Dorothée’s side.

Arriving at 4:57 a.m., the first of the nine units of Laval’s Fire and Safety Department required for the intervention (34 firefighters), had no trouble figuring out the magnitude of the situation.

At that time, flames were visible on the first two of the four floors of the building, in addition to reaching the rest of the structure and igniting some of the balconies.

Maneuvers in extreme cold

While the wind factor forced work to be done in a temperature of around minus 20 degrees, firefighters first completed the evacuation of the premises.

Meanwhile, help was requested from the Service de police de Laval (SPL), Hydro-Québec, the Société de transport de Laval (STL), and the City of Laval’s public works department.

The firefighters mainly concentrated their efforts on stopping the spread of the flames to the other floors and to the roof of the building, valued at $6 million, noting that the smoke detectors of the place were functional.

It was around 6:24 a.m. that firefighters brought the fire under control, but it caused damage summarily assessed at $300,000 for the building, and $100,000 for its contents.

Eight people will have to relocate following the fire. The investigation was transferred to the SPL, the firefighters having been unable to determine its origin 100 per cent.

However, the fire would have most likely started on the first floor.

Due to freezing weather conditions, a firefighter injured his ankle while executing his duties.

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article $400,000 in Damage for a Suspicious Fire in Sainte-Dorothée est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

“With a third consecutive winter under the influence of La Niña, in the Pacific Ocean, and the presence of the polar vortex, Canadians can expect cold and active weather for the start of the winter season,” said by press release Chris Scott, MeteoMedia’s chief meteorologist.

“Unlike recent years, winter is off to a strong start in Quebec,” added André Monette, head of meteorology at MeteoMedia, in that same press release. “Several regions already have a good snow covering, and it will continue to grow. Due to the active corridor present in the Saint-Laurent valley, several storms are expected. The abundance of snow is expected in Quebec this winter, which is excellent news for enjoying outdoor activities.”

Quebec and Ontario

Winter conditions arrived quickly this year, compared to recent winters, where there was sometimes no snow on Christmas Day.

“The polar vortex will be more in the centre of the country, keeping the coldest anomalies far from the two provinces,” the press release specified. “Some incursions of arctic air are still to be expected. With a mild anomaly present on the American east coast, Quebec and eastern Ontario will find themselves in the axis of an active corridor.”

Elsewhere in Canada

The Prairies will be entitled to below normal temperatures with the repeated presence of the polar vortex. For the Atlantic provinces, they will be favoured by a pronounced mildness, thanks to the abnormally mild temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the Rockies, more storms and snow are expected. Therefore, that will help the sector’s outdoor activities. (A.B.)

L’article A Tough Winter to Come est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.