A fourth alarm and a "Call 99" was required to control a violent fire that started on the roof of a modern 3-story condominium building. The fire took place at 1632 hours on Thursday, August 11, 2005 in Quebec City.
When the first unit arrived on the scene, two workers were standing on top of the building, desperately trying to extinguish the fire. Luckily, they were able to safely escape the flames without any help.
From the beginning, it appeared the firefighters would be faced with a violent fire; a plume of dense black smoke could be clearly seen from the suburbs of the town and various situations represented a clear danger. Among them, a propane tank started leaking, causing a barbecue to catch fire.
Also, the 1102 requested priority on the tactical band to warn all units about a possible collapse of the roof, following a weakening of the structure.
Two elevation units, a 100ft. ladder and a Sky-Arm, positioned strategically to limit the fire to the area between the roof and the third story, a 10-feet deep section where the fire was the most intense. Damages by the fire itself were limited, but those due to the water and smoke were widespread.
No loss of life or major injuries have been reported. The fight against the fire itself lasted more than 2 hours. Construction work may have been the cause of the fire.
It is to be noted that it is the seventh "Appel 99" (Call 99) of this year. It consists in calling all firefighters of the next work shift to their firehouse.
