Montreal police investigating blaze in vacant Old Montreal building | CBC News

Montreal police are investigating after a major fire in Old Montreal Friday evening.

About 150 firefighters were called to the scene of the five-alarm fire, which broke out at around 8 p.m. at 639 Notre Dame Street West, near Gauvin Street.

Everything indicates that the building is vacant and there were no civilians injured, according to Montreal Fire Chief Sylvain Jalbert. Three firefighters sustained minor injuries that were treated on-site.

Jalbert said that by 4:15 a.m. crews had extinguished the blaze, and that they were in “surveillance mode,” to prevent flare-ups.

It’s not clear what started the fire, but witnesses report hearing a loud explosion before the fire broke out.

A plaque on the building seen in photos taken before the fire indicates the structure dates back to 1891.

Colliers, a real estate company, lists the property as a redevelopment opportunity with a price tag of $10 million. It says the building was built in 1950, but it’s not clear if that includes the face of the structure.

Earlier this month, Montreal’s city council passed an update to a bylaw that aims to further crack down on property owners who let buildings sit abandoned and unused for a year or more.

Owners will be expected to do basic maintenance so as to preserve structural integrity and keep components, such as plumbing, in good condition.

Owners of heritage buildings face steeper fines for letting their property deteriorate.