A commercial building was destroyed by fire on November 12 in Sainte-Barbe. The Service de Sécurité Incendie de Sainte-Barbe (SSI) was called to respond to a fire that was raging just a few doors down from the fire station on Route 132 around 4:40 p.m.
“When we arrived on the scene, the fire was already widespread,” says SSI director Joël Trudeau. The building was unstable, and conditions were such that firefighters worked to put out the flames from the outside. At least 65 firefighters were on hand to battle the fire, with help coming from neighbouring fire departments including Godmanchester, Hinchinbrooke, Huntingdon, Saint-Anicet, Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, and Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague. Route 132 was closed in both directions between 4:45 and 9:15 p.m. Trudeau confirms no incidents were reported during the intervention; however, one person was treated for slight burns to their hands.
Trudeau reports that as of press time, the cause of the fire remains unknown, but a witness statement suggests issues with a heating appliance may be involved. The building, which was used primarily for storage, was badly damaged, with losses estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. According to reports, the building housed several vehicles including a hydroplane belonging to pilot Mickael Leboeuf.
