Suspicious fire in historic Old Montreal building sends one to hospital, investigation underway

Montreal police are investigating a major fire that broke out early Friday morning in a century-old building in the city’s Old Montreal district, leaving one person hospitalized with burns and another treated for shock.

Authorities said the fire began around 2:40 a.m. on the ground floor of a building on Notre-Dame Street East, which houses a restaurant, while the upper floors were used for short-term rentals. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but police have taken over the case because it is considered suspicious.

About 125 firefighters were called to the scene, working for several hours to bring the flames under control as smoke billowed across the city’s historic district. One person was transported to hospital with burn injuries, while another was treated at the scene.

City records show the property, built in 1923, is owned by Emile Benamor, who also owns another nearby heritage building that was destroyed in a March 2023 fire that killed seven people. That earlier incident had raised serious questions about fire safety standards in heritage structures used for temporary accommodations.

Police and fire officials say the investigation will determine whether there is any connection between the two fires.