Shortly after midnight on Monday, the Montreal Police Department (SPVM) was called to assist firefighters who were battling flames in a residential building on Saint-Joseph Boulevard.
Around fifty firefighters intervened to control the fire. The damage to the building is still considerable.
“I could see flames through the door frame,” said Marc Chartier, a tenant of the building who was watching a movie in his apartment when the fire alarm went off.
Mr. Chartier called 911 to report the fire to authorities and tried to get as many people as possible out of the building, which was already visibly on fire.
All 42 apartments in the building were evacuated and no one was injured.
Once the blaze was brought under control, firefighters discovered an incendiary object inside the building, so the investigation into this event was transferred to the SPVM’s arson unit.
“The damage to the building is significant. Some residents were evacuated from their homes and no one was injured. There are no arrests at this time and the investigation is ongoing,” said Constable Caroline Chèvrefils, who is a spokesperson for the Montreal police force, Monday morning.
A security perimeter has been set up around the building that was targeted. SPVM investigators will be on site on Monday to try to find out more about what happened.
With information from Noovo Info.
