Magog fire reduces a city block to rubble
to the size and unusual intensity of the blaze.
“I got up because of the wind,” said Michelle Thibault, who lives just down the road from where the fire raged. Thibault said that she was woken just as the fire was getting started by the sound of things were flying around on her balcony. Then discovering that her power was out and hearing sirens outside, she
said she got dressed and went to investigate.
“I said what is going on? There were sirens everywhere” the Magog woman said, explaining that when she first got to the scene she saw smoke and firefighters, but no flames. “It was when the wind came around it started,” she said, “and it went.”
Because the fire was so large, more than 60 firefighters were called to the scene from departments in Sherbrooke, Austin, Orford, Ayer’s Cliff, Saint-denisde-brompton, Eastman and Thetford Mines.
“All of the city resources and external resources did exceptional work under very difficult conditions,” Arteau said. “This was one of the most significant fires in Magog in recent years.”
At a midday press conference, the Magog Chief said that although the fire was considered to be under control, the significant plume of smoke in the area around the fire might linger for hours or even days, posing a possible health risk for local residents.
Midmorning citizens could be seen milling about the block on all sides of the fire, intermittently running into each other and sharing their shock and dismay.
A temporary shelter for the 26 people rendered homeless by the fire was established by the city in the lower floor of the municipal library during the day, and the victims were put up in local hotels overnight. The Red Cross is at work in the community to help those impacted by the fire deal with their situation.
Power was cut downtown during the intervention and services at the nearby hospital, which was right in the path of the smoke plume for much of the day, were cut to ensure the safety and security of patients and staff.