2 daycares evacuated after gas leak sparks blaze on Montreal's South Shore

Emergency crews rushed to a large fire on Curé-Poirier Boulevard West in Longueuil on Wednesday morning.  (Facebook/Service de police de l'agglomération de Longueuil - image credit)
Emergency crews rushed to a large fire on Curé-Poirier Boulevard West in Longueuil on Wednesday morning. (Facebook/Service de police de l'agglomération de Longueuil - image credit)

A gas leak ignited, setting two vehicles ablaze in Longueuil, Que., on Montreal's South Shore on Wednesday morning, leading authorities to evacuate two nearby daycares.

The flames began spreading shortly before 10 a.m. on Curé-Poirier Boulevard West, according to Longueuil police, after an excavator hit a gas line.

Images of the scene showed a tall plume of orange flame billowing above a residential area. Two vehicles caught fire, police said.

Flames consume a truck after a gas leak caught fire in Longueuil, Que., on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024.
Flames consume a truck after a gas leak caught fire in Longueuil, Que., on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024.

Flames consume a truck after a gas leak caught fire in Longueuil, Que., on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Simon-Marc Charron/CBC)

The daycares, Garderies Pierrot La Lune and Mon Empreinte à Moi, were evacuated safely and no children were hurt, according to police.

As of 4:15, Curé-Poirier Boulevard West had reopened but Longueuil police said traffic in the immediate area of the fire was disrupted.