Lithium Battery Fire at Port of Montreal Contained; No Public Health Risk

24 Sep Lithium Battery Fire at Port of Montreal Contained; No Public Health Risk

A fire erupted on Monday afternoon in a container holding 15,000 kilograms of lithium batteries at one of the Port of Montreal’s terminals in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough. As a precaution, the city issued a containment notice for the adjacent area, advising residents to stay indoors and close all doors, windows, and ventilation systems.

By 10:30 p.m., the containment notice was lifted after tests confirmed no toxic substances were detected in the smoke plume. “There is no longer any danger to the health and safety of the public,” the City of Montreal stated.

Montreal firefighters continued operations throughout the night and successfully addressed the situation inside the container. By Tuesday morning, the Fire Department reported minimal smoke at the scene and awaited a specialist clean-up team to handle the batteries.

“The containment notice has been lifted, and the situation in the port has been restored. The incident, concentrated on one container, has caused no known damage at this stage,” announced the Port of Montreal.

Emergency services, including the hazardous materials response team and Montreal police, responded promptly to the incident. The fire is now under control, and normal operations have resumed at the port.