The Montreal fire department said 368 residents of a private seniors home in LaSalle were evacuated due to a 2 alarm fire Thursday evening.
Three people were transported to hospital for smoke inhalation, though their injuries are not life-threatening, said section chief Alain Laflamme.
The fire department received 911 calls around 4:45 p.m. about a fire on the second floor of the four-storey building. Some 90 firefighters were sent to the scene and the fire was under control an hour later.
Residents have since returned to the building.
Laflamme said the damage was limited to a single unit thanks to the residence’s sprinkler system.
Quebec made it mandatory for private senior residences to install automatic sprinklers after a major fire killed 32 seniors at a L’Isle-Verte, Que., nursing home in 2014.
The deadline was originally by 2020, but was pushed to 2027.
There are roughly 1,400 private seniors' homes in the province, and 300 of them don’t have sprinklers.
Paul Brunet, a patient’s rights advocate, said it’s “not right” that “we don’t necessarily take care of [sprinkler systems] before there’s a tragedy.”
The fire department said installing them could be expensive and complicated, and the ministry responsible for seniors added that financial constraints, labour shortages and connection issues have caused delays.
But for resident Fran Moroney, having a proper sprinkler system ensured a good outcome to what could have been a deadly situation.
“I’m grateful. And I tell you, the fire department was absolutely amazing with everybody,” she said.
With files from Swidda Rassy
