Disasters · Saint-Michel fireSaint-Michel Montreal fire: 70 daycare children evacuated unharmedAired October 19, 2026 at 9:51 PM UTCWritten October 19, 2026 at 9:54 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07All 70 daycare children escaped a five-alarm fire without injury.0:11Three people needed hospital care after breathing smoke, and residents were forced0:15from their homes.0:16Whether those households can safely return is still unclear.0:20The fire struck a four-story building at 7930 St.0:23Michel Boulevard near Cremousey Boulevard East.0:25Shops and a daycare occupied the ground floor, with apartments above them.0:29Firefighters rescued several people stranded on balconies when crews arrived.0:33They evacuated the entire building.0:35Children, residents, and people in the businesses shared the same emergency.0:40Firefighters confirmed every daycare child got out safely, while they continued0:44checking how many people had been inside the building overall.0:47The emergency call came in at about 12.45 p.m.0:50Montreal time on October 19th.0:52About 150 firefighters responded as the operation reached five alarms.0:56The three hospitalized people had minor injuries from smoke inhalation.1:00The ambulance service, Urgences Sante, described them as stable.1:04Division Chief Martin Gilbo said nobody was known to be missing.1:07but firefighters hadn't completed the building-wide headcount.1:10Households were also waiting to learn the scale of the housing loss.1:14As many as 30 families were reportedly displaced, an early estimate that could still1:18change.1:19That leaves the longer-term need for accommodation unsettled.1:22The apartment count also differs.1:24An initial figure put 36 apartments above the businesses.1:28Another account described approximately 50 apartments evacuated.1:31It's unclear whether those figures cover the same units, so the final apartment1:35count remains unsettled.1:36Those apartment figures can't tell us how many individual residents need somewhere1:41to stay.1:41The provisional family estimate measures something different again.1:45Fire was burning within the building's structure, making it difficult to put out.1:48Gilbo expected crews to work into the early evening.1:51He said, after the fire is extinguished, we will be able to get to the cause.1:55Gilbald described the effort simply.1:57It's a lot of work for us right now.1:59Firefighters were still battling the blaze during the afternoon, hours after the2:03emergency call.2:04St.2:04Michel Boulevard was closed in both directions between Jerry Street East and2:09Kremazzi Boulevard East.2:10Fire officials asked the public to avoid the area while crews worked.2:14The children's safe evacuation is confirmed.2:17For the displaced households, a safe return is still uncertain.2:20The extent of the building's damage remains unclear, and firefighters still had to2:24finish accounting for everyone who may have been inside.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗