Trapped Firefighter Dies in Quebec House Fire

A house fire near Montreal has claimed the life of a young firefighter who was the father of a baby girl.

Mathieu Emond, 26, died while battling a blaze at a home in Varennes, Que. He had two years experience as a firefighter and was part of a crew that responded late Monday night to the home, located about 30 minutes east of Montreal.

"He was one of three firefighters that couldn't get out of the building when an evacuate building order was called," CTV Montreal's Tarah Schwartz reported Tuesday.

Officials say the blaze was violent and tore through the home quickly.

"(It was) intense enough to provoke a major breakdown of the house itself," said fire department official Daniel Perron.

The other two firefighters did manage to escape the blaze, but Emond didn't get out. Officials had to wait until daylight to recover his body, which was found around 8:30 a.m. in the basement of the residence.

Officials have not said what caused the fire.

Varennes Mayor Michel Tremblay said Tuesday that flags in the community were flying at half-mast.

Emond leaves behind a wife and a daughter who is less than a year old, said Schwartz.

Gilles Carle, the town's fire chief, said Tuesday that Emond was a "good little firefighter who was always ready to help his colleagues.''

He said he didn't think Emond's level of experience had anything to do with his death.

"Mr. Emond was a very good employee who listened to senior firefighters,'' he said.

Residents in the neighborhood where the fire occurred were visibly shaken. One man walked off in tears after speaking to CTV Montreal about the tragedy. Another noted simply, "I hope he didn't suffer."

But the issue of experience will likely be one of the questions raised by at least two -- and possibly three -- investigations that will now take place. Investigators will also try to determine if there was any equipment failure.

The local fire department, police, and the workers health and safety board may all be part of possible probes.

Republished with permission of CTV.ca.