The Saguenay Police Department (SPS) is mourning the loss of a “esteemed” civilian employee who died in a violent fire at his home in the Jonquière district on Thursday evening.
The blaze began around 11:30 p.m. in a four-unit building on Powell Street, a stone’s throw from police headquarters.
The police were on site very quickly and were able to evacuate the residents living on the ground floor. They learned that a person may have been a prisoner on the first floor, but the intensity of the fire did not allow them to reach him.
Photo Agency QMI, Roger Gagnon
According to SPS spokesman Luc Tardif, firefighters arrived shortly after and were able to evacuate the unconscious victim, 37-year-old Simon Gagnon.
Until the arrival of the emergency services, police officers immediately began resuscitation maneuvers on the man, who, despite all efforts, could not be brought back to life. His death was announced on the spot.
In a joint statement, the Police Department and the City of Saguenay confirmed that Simon Gagnon was a paralegal within the police organization.
“All employees of the City of Saguenay offer their sincere condolences and send their best thoughts to the family and loved ones of our colleague Simon Gagnon, who has tragically passed away in the last few hours,” the statement said.
“The big family of the city mourns the loss of our colleague. Simon was valued in his team and we already miss him. We offer Simon’s family all our solidarity in these difficult times,” added the employer.
Everything indicates that the fire happened accidentally, but the forensic identification service analyzed the scene with the aim of precisely identifying the causes and origin of the tragedy.
The coroner’s office has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances of the death.
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