MONTREAL (CBC) - More than 30 people were forced to flee their homes early Tuesday morning as flames engulfed several buildings in east-end Montreal.

A five-alarm fire broke out just before 5 a.m. ET on the balcony of a triplex apartment building on Jeanne d'Arc Street.

The flames spread quickly through four nearby buildings on Charlemagne Street, forcing the closure of several blocks in the area south of the Olympic Stadium.

Traffic was disrupted on Jeanne d'Arc and Charlemagne streets, Pie-IX Boulevard and Rouen and Bourbonnière streets.

It's not clear what started the fire but a department spokesperson said the buildings are old and may have inadequate firewalls, which would explain the fire's rapid spread.

Volunteers with the Red Cross and Sun Youth were on the scene handing out food, coffee and clothes to people forced out of their apartments, many in just their pyjamas.

With files from the Canadian Press

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