A 42-year-old woman was hospitalized Sunday after jumping from the balcony of her third-storey apartment onto the balcony of a neighbouring building to escape a fire.
A spokesperson for the Montreal Fire Department said the woman injured her ribs in the jump and also suffered smoke inhalation in the early-morning blaze at the 20-unit apartment building at the corner of Marie-Anne St. and Christophe Colomb Ave. Her injuries were not life-threatening.
Eighty firefighters responded to the blaze, which was only a block from the Rachel St. fire station. They evacuated about 20 residents, some from balconies. Other than the woman, nobody was injured.
The spokesperson said fire broke out on the second floor and spread to the third storey and roof. It was under control by 9 a.m., about two hours after the initial call. Damage is estimated at about $300,000.
