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Residents trying to salvage possessions, find pets after massive St-Henri fire

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The Red Cross is now helping eight families who were forced from their homes after a massive fire ripped through a historic building in Montreal's St-Henri neighbourhood on the weekend.

In all, 21 families were forced from their homes and the cause of the fire is being investigated by the Montreal police (SPVM) arson squad.

In addition, engineers are now trying to determine whether the building can be saved.

Montreal police (SPVM) confirmed that there were two fires in the building that night. 

Spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant said the first call at 8:15 p.m. was for a small fire on a pile of flyers near the entrance and was put out quickly. The second call was later in the evening at 11:15 p.m. and started at a different part of the building.

"So far, there's nothing saying that they were related," said Brabant.

Fire scene investigators cannot say what caused the fire as of yet because the building is not structurally sound enough for them to enter.

Tenants also cannot go in, as the building is fenced off, and the Red Cross, friends, and families are now trying to salvage personal items and locate pets.

Lara Sterling lives across the street and knows many of the residents in the building. She is part of a group raising money and donations to help those forced out of their home.

"I'm very concerned, and I want to be part of the solution right now," she said. "On one side of the building, no one has anything... Some people are going to live with family, but it's a bad situation."

She is helping one woman with three children ages three, five, and eight, locate their pets.

"I'm trying to help this family get their cats," said Sterling. 

Local businessman and real estate magnate Peter Sergakis owns the building and said he put $3 million in renovations into it recently.

The building, however, may need to be torn down.

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