After a historic building crumbled into a pile of debris, attention has shifted to Montreal police’s arson squad in the quest to unveil the cause behind the massive fire that resulted in the complete shutdown of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge.
The now-destroyed structure was the Familex factory, a storied edifice dating back to 1910, which was engulfed in flames late on a Tuesday night.
Firefighters toiled tirelessly from Wednesday morning until the early hours of Thursday to extinguish the inferno, ultimately leading to the complete demolition of the building.
Reportedly, Montreal police’s arson investigators descended on the scene Thursday morning to scrutinize the area and analyze surveillance footage from nearby locations.
Contrary to earlier speculation, an SPVM spokesperson clarified on Wednesday that arson was not currently suspected as the cause of the fire.
The severity of the blaze necessitated the closure of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge for a considerable duration on Wednesday, as the burning building stood in close proximity to the bridge’s infrastructure.
Both the Montreal Fire Department (SIM) and the City of Montreal’s public works department were engaged in critical repair operations following the incident.
Although some road closures persisted into Thursday, Jacques-Cartier and De Lorimier Avenue were accessible in both northbound and southbound directions, with a restriction for drivers heading north on the bridge to proceed solely to the north on De Lorimier Avenue.
