Smoke Billows Over Alto’s

Wednesday morning, McGill students saw thick smoke billowing from a fire on Parc and Milton as they got to school. The fire was designated to be ‘five-alarm’, indicating that the blaze drew four engine companies and two ladder companies.

At its peak, the fire in the abandoned building had 120 firefighters to ensure the flames would not engulf the surrounding structures. Traffic was also re-routed away from the Milton-Parc area.

According to Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, the fire at the R.S Muir & Co building spread next door to 3462 Parc, well-known among students as late-night diner Alto’s.

Built in 1875, the heritage building was designated high risk by the fire department because it was abandoned and had an open layout.It was also regularly occupied by squatters; according to CTV, they may have been responsible for causing the fire. The structure was last inspected on July 4th, and is typically inspected every six months.

According to the Montreal Fire Department, three families were evacuated, but thankfully no one was hurt. The Red Cross has offered to house everyone that was displaced.

Video courtesy of Morgan Mulqueen. 

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