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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.