Major fire burning in Old Montreal heritage building

Firefighters are working to put out the flames of a five-alarm fire in Old Montreal.

The fire started around 5:45 a.m. Thursday morning in a building at the intersection of Place d'Youville and Saint-Nicolas Street, right behind the Pointe-à-Callière museum.

Residents have been evacuated and ambulances are on-site to treat those with injuries. Urgences-santé said 12 people were treated for injuries, 10 of whom were taken to hospital. Ambulances are on-site.

Guy Allard, who works in security at the Pointe-à-Callière museum, said when he arrived to work in the morning, he was shocked to see the building engulfed in flames. 

"People broke the [windows ]and were saying 'I want to get out, there's a fire inside, come help me,' and medics were trying," he said.

"It was scary for sure." 

WATCH | Heritage building in Old Montreal engulfed by flames

The fire spread rapidly, said operations chief for the Montreal fire department Martin Guilbault. When firefighters arrived on site, they had to rescue people from the third storey by ladder. 

Guilbault says nine people were treated for burns on their hands and faces, while three people suffered burns to their lungs. 

"The fire is under control right now," he said. 

"What we have to do is take care of all the smaller fires in the building. It might take a couple hours."

Electricity has been cut in some areas of Old Montreal to allow firefighters to do their job safely. Guilbault said it is too early to know the source and cause of the blaze.

On Twitter, Mayor Valérie Plante urged people to avoid the area if possible. 

"Thank you to the teams present working to ensure safety," she said.