BECANCOUR, QUE. -- A man in his 40s has been arrested in connection with a fire that completely destroyed a residence in Becancour, across the river from Trois-Rivieres in Quebec.

Surete du Quebec (SQ) officers were notified in the early hours of Sunday, around 2:45 a.m., of a suspicious fire in progress in a residence and an adjacent garage located on Route 132, which also bears the name Acadiens Blvd.

At around 8:30 a.m., firefighters had still not given police access to the scene.

The damage is so extensive that homeowners could face a total loss.

"The investigation led to the arrest of a suspicious individual, a 40-year-old man who was intoxicated. He was found in another building located nearby," said SQ spokesperson Claude Denis. "Last I heard, there were no injuries."

The connection between the suspect and the burning residence is undetermined at this time. It was not possible to immediately confirm that the residence was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

The individual was taken to the station for questioning.

"A fire scene technician and an investigator will continue the investigation," said Denis.

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2021.