Montreal police are on high alert after another string of fires was set ablaze for the second time this week.
Montreal firefighters have been working overtime, extinguishing multiple fires started across the city as possible acts of intimidation.
The Montreal police arson squad investigated three fires in the span of 90 minutes. It’s the second case of multiple fire bombings this week in the city.
Between 1:30 and 2:45 a.m. Thursday, two residential buildings were targeted.
Three vehicles were torched outside a home in Saint-Laurent on Alexis-Nihon Boulevard. While no traces of accelerant were found at the scene the fire was deemed suspicious, according to SPVM spokesperson Raphaël Bergeron.
The owners of the home told police they didn’t know why they were singled out.
Then, shortly afterwards a Molotov cocktail was thrown through a window on Graham Boulevard in the Town of Mount Royal. Residents were forced from their home, but no injuries were reported.
Police were also called to a reception hall on Des Nations Street in the Saint-Laurent borough,at around 3 a.m. The building suffered minor damages after it was targeted by an incendiary device.
This comes after a string of arsons were reported in the Saint-Laurent borough on Tuesday.
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Police say while the fires are likely connected, it’s too soon to jump to conclusions.
“It’s still to be determined at this point. Several businesses were targeted, including restaurants and now private residences. Obviously, the arson squad will look into the fact that they could be linked,” Bergeron said.
“At this point it’s hard to confirm that because we still have to investigate.”
Meanwhile, a fourth fire was reported just after 5 a.m. in Montreal’s east end.
It took 110 firefighters several hours to put out an inferno in the yard of a towing company on Marien Boulevard. While not deemed suspicious initially, the cause of the three-alarm fire is still under investigation
No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.
No arrests have been made.
Police say patrols will be increased, especially in the Saint-Laurent borough.
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