The fire broke out around 2:40 a.m. in a three-storey building on Notre Dame St. near Bonsecours St.
A man in his 50s was in critical condition early Friday after suffering injuries in a five-alarm fire that broke out in a building in the Old Montreal.
By sunrise Friday, more than 120 Montreal firefighters were continuing to battle the spectacular blaze that broke out at 2:40 a.m. in a mixed commercial/residential building on Notre Dame St. near Bonsecours St. In less than an hour, it been designated a five-alarm fire.
By 4 a.m., a huge pall of smoke hung over the building and numerous roads in the already cramped confines of the neighbourhood had been blocked by police.
The public is urged to avoid the area and local residents are warned the power grid could be shut down as the fight against the flames continues.
This story will be updated.