Major fire in downtown Montreal lays waste to vacant building
A three-storey building at the corner of De La Montagne St. and St. Antoine St. went up in flames Tuesday, drawing 90 firefighters in a major response.
The building had been vacant for years, said Matthew Griffith of the Montreal fire department.
Smaller neighbouring buildings were also vacant and "abandoned," he said, boarded up, so there was no need to evacuated anyone during the three-alarm response. The other buildings weren't damaged in the end.
The corner is, however, in a relatively busy part of town, close to the Bell Centre and the Lucien-L'Allier metro stop.
The building that caught fire is at 1300 St. Antoine, and it used to be mixed commercial-residential, Griffith said.
The fire started on the third floor and the cause is still unknown.
Firefighters were just wrapping up their first job, containing the blaze, as of about 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and investigators were slated to go in as soon as it was safe to begin to look at the cause, Griffith said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Johnston to launch foreign interference hearings in July, calls allegations of bias 'quite simply false'
Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference David Johnston calls the allegations swirling around his objectivity 'quite simply false,' and said Tuesday he plans to push ahead with his work, launching public hearings next month

Ford calls for ouster, Poilievre decries Liberal response to Bernardo prison transfer
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the Liberals to keep "multiple murderers" in maximum-security prison, as fallout continues over the transfer of convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security institution in Quebec.
Sex harassment case involving Trudeau Foundation should be heard in N.L., lawyer says
The lawyer representing a woman who alleges she was sexually harassed by a former Northwest Territories premier says her client would likely have to end her lawsuit if a judge determines the trial should be moved to Quebec.
Travellers from 13 more countries now eligible to visit Canada without a visa
Canada is expanding the list of countries whose residents are eligible to visit this country without a travel visa.
Canadian military joined recent U.S. forum on UFOs; Pentagon trying to identify 'metallic' orbs
The Canadian military has confirmed it participated in a May 2023 forum for Five Eyes intelligence partners that was held by the director of the Pentagon's UFO research program.
Global News defends reporting in face of Han Dong lawsuit
Global News and its parent company Corus Entertainment say in response to a lawsuit filed by Han Dong that their reporting about the Toronto MP was based on a detailed investigation involving multiple sources.
Conservative filibuster threatens potential citizenship for children born abroad
Andrea Fessler found out her third daughter didn't qualify for Canadian citizenship -- even though her two older daughters did -- when she arrived at the Canadian consulate in Hong Kong to register.
Rent across Canada climbs to 20 per cent above pandemic lows: report
Across Canada, the average price of rent climbed back up after pandemic lows, with the monthly rate new tenants face now 20 per cent higher than it was two years ago, according to just-released rental data.
Charges dropped against Alberta woman accused of mailing animals
Crown prosecutors say charges against an Alberta woman accused of mailing two puppies and a kitten have been dropped.