Around 12:15 a.m. this Tuesday, January 7, the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield firefighters were called to Penon Street in connection with a fire in a two-story duplex with three apartments.
« Calls sent to the emergency center reported that a possible cocktail had been thrown at a house. When we arrived on the scene, we actually noticed the start of a fire in the facade cladding on the first floor of the residence. It was spreading to the rest of the siding and was gaining ground towards the roof. We managed to contain it quickly. It was necessary to tear out a few siding slats to ensure that the fire had not crept further.” summarizes chef Alain Lauzon who led the nighttime intervention.
After controlling the blaze, firefighters noticed the presence of accelerant on the scene, which confirmed the theory of arson. “ A container of gasoline was found on site. As is the procedure in such circumstances, the file was transferred to the Sûreté du Québec for further investigations.
The affected residence is a duplex which housed three dwellings. “ All occupants were able to return to their apartment at the end of our intervention. The damage is concentrated on the exterior facade where it was necessary to remove siding slats measuring 4 feet long by approximately three feet wide. No one suffered injuries and coverage of the territory was provided by one of our teams during this intervention.
For her part, the spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec, Élizabeth Marquis, confirms that an investigation aimed at determining the causes and circumstances of the blaze is underway. No arrests have been made in the case at this time.
