The fire started around 12:30 p.m. in the kitchen of a home where four people lived. According to the neighbours, a loud blast was heard.
By the time the firefighters arrived, the fire had already spread throughout the six-plex apartment building.
"We proceeded with the evacuation of the building," explained Michel Girard, of the Montreal Fire Department, "and found an 82-year-old man unconscious in the bathroom.
"We tried to revive him, but were unsuccessful. He was later pronounced dead at Sacré Coeur Hospital."
"We tried to revive him, but were unsuccessful. He was later pronounced dead at Sacré Coeur Hospital," Girard concluded. -
The man's wife and daughter were taken to the hospital to be treated for shock.
Sixty firefighters were called to the building and managed to get the fire under control around 2:15 p.m.
The fire department was not able to confirm whether the apartment was equipped with a working fire alarm.
