Major fire ignites at historic Montreal church

A fire at a Montreal church completely destroyed the building and around 75 seniors were forced from their home after the blaze spread.

A large fire destroyed the former Saint-Paul Church in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough early Monday morning.

The Montreal Fire Department deployed about 100 firefighters after receiving a 911 call at 1:30 a.m. about the five-alarm blaze on de l’Église Avenue near Laurendeau Street.

Firefighters noted that the two-storey historic building was vacant at the time of the incident, but the flames forced the evacuation of the surrounding area, including the church’s former rectory, which serves as a seniors’ home.

The Red Cross was called to care for the 148 people affected, including 73 from the residence.

There were no reported injuries.

The church was built between 1910 and 1911 and is part of a heritage site comprised of a few buildings in the area.

Officials are investigating the cause of the fire.

With files from The Canadian Press