A 75-year-old woman died Monday evening, one day after a fire broke out in the kitchen of her Cote Saint Luc home.
The woman, who has been identified as Teresa Cohen, suffered burns all over her body when the fire broke out at 2:10 p.m. on Sunday.
Police said they found traces of accelerant at the scene, and so believe someone poured flammable gas over the woman and deliberately started the fire.
The woman's 80-year-old husband, Salomon Abeassis, was also taken to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. Police want to speak to him to determine exactly what happened, but as of Tuesday morning had not been given medical permission to do so.
Cohen recently injured her hip in a fall and required surgery to treat it.
Esther Weber, who lives downstairs from the couple, heard the smoke alarm on Sunday afternoon.
She went upstairs and heard the calls for help from the woman and her husband, then called 9-1-1.
Weber said the couple have lived in their home for 30 years, and she and other neighbours had never heard of any problems in their relationship.
