Many buildings razed by fire in Bicolline

A fire of rare intensity ravaged at least nine buildings, some two stories tall, on Saturday evening on the life-size medieval site of Bicolline, in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc. More than 40 firefighters were mobilized to fight the flames. For hours, nearly a dozen tanker trucks made multiple trips, refueling in a nearby river to feed the fire hoses deployed around the epicenter of the disaster, in order to prevent the spread of the conflagration.

As soon as the call was made to the emergency services, at 10:43 p.m., the director of the fire department of the MRC of Maskinongé, Dave Carrier, requested the intervention of a pumper from the Shawinigan fire department.

When firefighters arrived, at least five buildings were in widespread conflagration. For them, it was already too late.

The proximity of the medieval-style chalets is such that the challenge was immediately to prevent the flames from spreading to neighboring structures, explains Chef Carrier.

The intensity was such when the firefighters arrived that the first hoses deployed on the ground burned under the heat of the flames.

A thick column of smoke, tinged with amber and red, was visible from the center of the village. Explosions punctuated the scene.

A second alarm was sounded, then upon his arrival on the scene, Dave Carrier sounded the general alarm.

All the firefighters of the Régie des services de Sécurité Régroupementés de la MRC de Maskinongé – Saint-Paulin, Charette, Saint-Boniface, Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc and Saint-Étienne-des-Grès – joined the effort, in addition to those from Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, and the workforce from Shawinigan. Around 11 p.m., a tanker truck from Trois-Rivières was even called for reinforcements.

Like matches

As soon as firefighters arrived, a mass evacuation was ordered. Several were already further on the site, where a rally was taking place. No injuries were reported.

The firefighters therefore quickly set about the task of continuously watering the buildings neighboring the blaze. Many will still have suffered damage, despite the effort. Chief Carrier was nonetheless pleased that the worst had been avoided.

Beyond the heat, it was the lack of water that gave the firefighters a hard time. “We are not far from eight or nine tanks on the road, which are constantly transporting, points out Dave Carrier, 3000 gallons, 2500 gallons, 1500 gallons. »

It was in the river near Mount SM that the trucks refueled. The road looked like a highway under siege, as the flashing lights flashed everywhere in the night.

“It’s going to be a mourning”

Further away, at the main chalet, the owner of Bicolline, Olivier Renard, took the blow.

The medieval chalets which have just gone up in smoke are both the setting for the life-size games which animate the site and the refuge of players who have invested love and economy there.

The structures razed by the flames are all private properties, which enjoy a long lease – with the ironic exception of a building which served as a barracks for the volunteer fire brigade which sometimes intervenes on the site, it seems. “For the players, it will be a loss,” whispers Mr. Renard.

The weekend also marked the start of the season for the full-size site.

“It’s the first Ducasse, we had 800 participants,” explains Olivier Renard. They are all group leaders, the 200 guild leaders who were there, they represent almost 3000 players on the field. »

The experience of the players present on the site will have facilitated the evacuation, believes the owner. The latter is also pleased that the losses are limited to material damage.

Officials were scheduled to meet Sunday to plan activities for the coming year. We understand that the agenda risks being modified by events.

In total, the site has some 260 buildings. Those who have just been reduced to ashes were among the oldest on the estate, which will be 30 years old next year. Olivier Renard argues that Bicolline is a tight-knit community. “We’re going to get organized. The phone calls will begin…”

A human cause

It was too early Saturday evening to determine the exact cause of the fire, but Chief Carrier already mentioned “a human cause.”

The director of the Régie does not hide the fact that the configuration of the premises, with the proximity of the buildings, all built of wood, has always been a source of concern.

“It was to be expected that the day there was a fire, there would be more than one building involved,” says the fire chief.

On the Bicolline side, we argue that the emphasis is placed on prevention. We assure that fire extinguishers are “in very large quantities” on the site and in the buildings, and that fire spaces are inspected every year.

This article was first published on the website of News writer.