Arson squad investigating Saturday-night fire in downtown Montreal
Montreal firefighters responded to a large fire overnight in an abandoned downtown commercial building.
Authorities issued their initial advisory of a "first-alarm" fire at Sainte-Catherine W St. and McGill College Ave. at around 11:40 p.m. Saturday.
That classification was soon updated to a "fourth-alarm" blaze at around 2 a.m., requiring about 105 firefighters and 31 vehicles.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, and the case has been turned over to the Montreal police arson squad.
Large flames and smoke were visible from blocks away. The fire began next door to Montreal's iconic, and now also vacant, "Super Sexe" club, which sustained some damage.
There were no reported injuries.
Firefighters remained on the scene Sunday morning to ensure the fire was out for good. Officials are asking people to avoid the area.
Another view of Saturday night's building fire on Sainte-Catherine St. and McGill College Av. in downtown Montreal (Image courtesy of Khaled Murywed)
Another view of Saturday night's building fire on Sainte-Catherine St. and McGill College Ave. in downtown Montreal (Image courtesy of Khaled Murywed)
'FURIOUS'
"It's been months that we've sounded the alarm to authorities to force the maintenance of buildings abandoned by speculators," Glenn Castanheira, general director of Montreal Centre-Ville, a non-profit responsible for commercial developement in the area, wrote to social media Sunday.
Both the building that caught fire and the old Super Sexe location are owned by the same person, according to William Murray, Prevention Section Chief for the Montreal firefighters.
"(I'm) furious," wrote Castanheira. "It is unacceptable that this practice is tolerated on the largest commercial artery in the country."
SECOND BURNT, ABANDONED BUILDING ON POLICE RADAR THIS WEEK
The Sainte-Catherine building is the second abandoned building the arson squad will be investigating this week.
On Friday, another large fire overtook an abandoned building on Sainte-Catherine and de la Visitation St. which had fallen into disrepair, according to Murray.
“There were a lot of holes inside the walls and ceiling,” Murray told CTV on Friday. “We don’t know on which floor the fire started, but it spread quickly.”
Residents of neighbouring apartment buildings were evacuated as a precautionary measure. There were no reported injuries.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Students at Curé-Antoine-Labelle High School near Montreal are protesting after they say their school's administration started pushing what they call a 'sexist' dress code.
Officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler is being disciplined for not having bodycam activated
The Kentucky police officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside the PGA Championship is receiving 'corrective action' for failing to have his body-worn camera activated.
'I won't stop,' Celine Dion says in trailer for upcoming doc about her health woes
Celine Dion's fans are getting a first glimpse of the superstar's struggle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional trailer for an upcoming documentary about her career and life.
Air travel is expensive. WestJet wants the government to do more to change that
WestJet is asking the federal government to put measures in place to lower ticket costs for travellers, but questions remain on who would foot the bill.
Hundreds have applied for this 'adventurer' job in Banff National Park
Coined as Banff's 'ultimate summer job,' the Moraine Lake Bus Company says hundreds of people from across the world have applied for its adventurer position.
Ottawa police investigating death of a gosling in Kanata
Ottawa police are investigating after someone allegedly stomped on a gosling in Kanata. Police say it appears that Canada geese laid eggs in the area, 'and on May 21, a suspect stomped on one of the hatched babies.'
Treasury Board president urges managers to be flexible on exemptions for new 3-day office mandate
The president of the Treasury Board is standing by the federal government's new hybrid office mandate for federal public servants, but is urging managers to be flexible for staff requiring exemptions.