Near-naked flee swingers' club fire

MONTREAL, June 19 (UPI) -- The cause of a Montreal fire at a swingers' club that had patrons fleeing nearly naked early Friday was under investigation, firefighters said.

Fire alarms began sounding around 6:30 a.m. at the Auberge 1082 club with three employees and seven customers inside, fire spokesman Gilles Ducharme told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Six people suffered smoke inhalation and required ladder rescue, the report said.

A resident of a nearby apartment building who asked not to be identified told the CBC it was "a sight to behold" as near-naked people descended the ladders.

The club operates a sauna in the basement and rooms on the second floor, while the ground floor is an extermination business, the report said.

Ducharme said a final determination of the cause hadn't been ascertained, although early indications pointed to the electrical system of the sauna, the CBC said.