A lockdown for residents near the Port of Montreal was lifted late Monday night after firefighters successfully extinguished a fire involving thousands of kilograms of lithium batteries. The fire, which began around 2:40 p.m., had caused a large cloud of smoke to drift into nearby neighborhoods, prompting health and safety concerns.
Residents in the Mercier—Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough were advised to stay indoors and close doors, windows, and ventilation systems. About 100 people living closest to the fire were evacuated, and power was cut to homes within a one-kilometer radius.
By 10:30 p.m., officials declared the air safe, allowing residents to return to their homes, and power was restored. The fire had been fueled by 15,000 kilograms of lithium batteries inside a shipping container, which posed a unique challenge for firefighters due to the risk of thermal runaway—a chain reaction common with burning lithium batteries.
Firefighters, assisted by specialized airport equipment, spent hours cooling down the container. One firefighter sustained minor injuries, but no major harm was reported. Martin Guilbault, division chief of the Montreal fire service, remarked that lithium battery fires are a growing concern globally as their use increases, suggesting that such incidents could become more frequent.
The fire occurred near Bousset Avenue and Notre-Dame Street, which was briefly closed but reopened later that night. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
