A homeowner in Laval remains unaccounted for after his house burned to the ground Tuesday.
People living near 130 Edimbourg St. heard what could have been an explosion around 3 p.m. Tuesday and went outside to check it out.
"The first thing I saw was a huge black cloud coming from the righhand corner of my neighbour's house," said Marie-France Langlois.
Firefighters spent two hours battling the flames, but the smoke and embers continued to pour out of the building throughout the evening.
Determining the building could not be saved and still posed a dangerous risk, the structure was demolished overnight.
"This morning I went outside and realized what had happened," said Langlois.
She said that one man, in his 50s, lived alone in the house.
Police are now trying to locate him.
"We cannot find the owner of the house. We know who he is, investigators are in contact with the family," said Franco Di Genova.
They are hoping he is on vacation, possibly in Quebec City, but the man "didn't advise any of his family members that he was going there. It's a mystery right now."
The owner's car was parked in his driveway yesterday before it was moved by firefighters.
Langlois said she last spoke to him two weeks ago over the backyard hedge.
"I can only hope he didn't get trapped in the flames," said Langlois.
In the meantime Laval's arson squad is going through the rubble.
"Our investigators are going to take over the scene to see how the fire started. Why did it start?" said Di Genova.
They will also look for any information indicating what happened to the missing man.
