Sherbrooke building reduced to rubble following 4-alarm fire police are considering 'suspicious'

Firefighters in Sherbrooke, Que., worked overnight to save buildings in the downtown area following a major fire on Wellingston Street South.

150 firefighters worked overnight to save nearby buildings in downtown area

Rachel Watts, Gordon Lambie CBC News Posted: Jan 23, 2024 3:13 PM EST | Last Updated: January 24

A building is reduced to rubble covered in ice. Two buildings stand on either side. — Teams worked until early Wednesday morning to prevent the spread of a fire that broke out Tuesday just after 2 p.m. in Sherbrooke. (Gordon Lambie/CBC)

A total of 150 firefighters in Sherbrooke, Que., worked in shifts into the early hours of the morning on Wednesdayto save buildings in the city's downtown area in the wake of a four-alarm fire.

The fire started Tuesday afternoon inside a building at 16 Wellington Street South.

Following analysis from investigators,the Sherbrooke police department released a statement Wednesday saying the circumstances of the fire have led them to believe it is a fire of "suspicious origin."

The fire made thebuilding unstable andit was demolished and reduced to rubble as a safety measure.

Sebastien Manseau is the CEO ofServices Gest-Immo, the property manager in the building.

He says he called 911 after his team discovered the fire just after 2 p.m. and evacuated residents in the 14 apartment units.No one was injured.

"There was about nine tenants present at that time. And by the time I evacuated the last one on the fourth floor it was time to get out. The fire was pushing us," said Manseau.

Frozen water and ice over a building. Next to the building is a pile of rubble. — The property manager that leases the building says nine tenants were present when the fire broke out. (Gordon Lambie/CBC)

He said his focus is helping tenants find a place to live.

"That's our main concern because all our tenants cannot reach us," saidManseau.

"Ino longer have any keys of any building.I have around 120 building for 800 apartments. I no longer have any keys. I no longer have any paper trail of all the leases."

Smoke billows out of a building on a wintery street. — A major fire in Sherbrooke, Que., snarled traffic and closed streets but there were no injuries. (Gordon Lambie/CBC)

Nearby residences were also evacuated after carbon monoxide was detected. The city has opened a shelter for evacuees.

"We had teams inside and outside to contain the fire," said fire chief Martin Primeau.

"There was a collapse inside. The building just collapsed on itself inside and the outside a bit too. That's why we pulled our teams out."

A firefighters stands with his back towards the camera looking at smoke coming from a building — Firefighters rushed to the burning building on Tuesday afternoon. (Gordon Lambie/CBC)

On Tuesday afternoon, the column of smoke was visible for several kilometres.In addition to apartment units, the building housed two businesses, one of which had opened just a few weeks ago.

With buildings crowded close to each other in the downtown core, the fire department worked around the clockto keep the fire from spreading.

Smoke emerges from a building. A firetruck is parked nearby. — The electricity was cut to the area after a fire broke out at 16 Wellington Street South. (Emy Lafortune/Radio-Canada)

With files from Radio-Canada

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