Suspicious fire in Rivière-du-Loup: police finally rule out criminal theory

No criminal act was ultimately involved in the fire which completely destroyed the Rivière-du-Loup Buanderie last Tuesday, say the authorities.

“The investigation is now completed and rules out the intervention of a third party, therefore eliminating the theory of a criminal act,” indicated Frédéric Deshaies, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Monday morning.

Remember that the exceptionally violent fire which started around 3 a.m. on January 14 completely razed the business on Fraser Street. “Clues” then led the authorities to believe that a voluntary act could have been committed.

Around forty firefighters had to work hard to control the flames and prevent them from spreading to neighboring buildings.

Fortunately, no one was injured. Residents evacuated in the surrounding area were all able to return to their homes in the hours that followed.

If the criminal theory is ruled out, the origin of the fire remains unknown.