Lockdown notice lifted as firefighters control battery fire at Port of Montreal

By The Canadian Press on September 24, 2024.

The City of Montreal issued a lockdown notice for some residents of the Mercier - Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough on Monday night due to a container fire at Montreal's Port that has since been brought under control. Ships are docked at the Port of Montreal, Tuesday, Sept.19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

MONTREAL – The City of Montreal issued a lockdown notice for some residents of an east-end borough on Monday night due to a battery fire at the city’s port that has since been brought under control.

Officials lifted the shelter-in-place advisory around 10:30 p.m., and the city indicated that tests had found nothing toxic in the smoke that had billowed from the port.

Firefighters continued to work through the night until they reached the fire, located in a container filled with batteries.

Firefighters said today that the smoke was almost gone and that a specialized cleaning team had been called to the site to handle the material.

The Port of Montreal said on social media that the fire was concentrated in a single container and isn’t believed to have caused further damage.

Residents of Mercier – Hochelaga-Maisonneuve who were near the fire were asked to stay inside for several hours as a precautionary measure, with their windows, doors and ventilation systems closed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2024.