A 75-year-old woman is in critical condition following a suspicious fire that broke out Sunday afternoon in a home on Guelph St. in Côte Saint-Luc.
The woman suffered multiple burns - police say it appears someone might have poured gas on her and set her on fire around 2:10 p.m. They fear she may not survive.
The couple’s downstairs neighbour Esther Weber said she heard the woman’s cries for help and the smoke alarm.
“She was yelling, ‘Help! Help! Help!... I looked under the door, it was all on fire in the kitchen,” she said, adding that she called 911 at that point. “I told them, ‘Please come fast, there is fire in the house!’”
Weber said someone opened a door and there was smoke everywhere.
“She was yelling, he was yelling, it was horrible. I was shaking,” said Weber, who added that the couple had lived there for 30 years and she never saw or heard any trouble.
Her husband, who is 80, was also hospitalized for respiratory problems due to smoke inhalation. Investigators are awaiting authorization from the man’s doctor to speak with him. He is considered an important witness in this case.
Traces of accelerant were found inside the house, said Montreal police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant.
“Investigators are analyzing the scene,” said Brabant.
