The Montreal police department (SPVM) arson squad is investigating two fires that occurred in the early hours of Monday morning.
FIRE BOMB THREW COMMERCIAL WINDOW
The Montreal fire department (SSIM) called the police to assist around 2:10 a.m. after firefighters found an incendiary device in the rubble of a fire at a commercial building on the Trans-Canada Highway at Edmond Street in Kirkland.
"When the police arrived, the firefighters already had the flames under control," said SPVM spokesperson Veronique Dubuc.
Dubuc said the incendiary object was found inside the front entrance and the window of the front door was smashed.
"The damages are not significant," said Dubuc. "No one was injured."
The building in question was home to the Merck pharmaceutical company's Montreal office.
The arson squad is now analyzing the scene and reviewing surveillance footage to determine how the fire started.
Police are also looking to meet with witnesses who may have seen the fire start.
ELDERLY WOMAN SUFFERS SMOKE INHALATION
An 84-year-old woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition shortly after midnight, suffering from smoke inhalation.
She remains in critical condition.
Police were called at 12:15 a.m. to assist after a fire broke out in a duplex on Gouin Boulevard West near Richmond Street in Pierrefonds.
The building was evacuated, leaving around five people without a place to stay for the night, said Dubuc.
Firefighters were able to get the fire under control, but there was significant damage to the residence.
The arson squad will investigate what caused the fire throughout the day.
