Family of missing 18-year-old hoping for answers after Old Montreal fire

A young woman who remains missing after a fire swept through a building in Old Montreal is being described as a bubbly, outgoing 18-year-old.

Charlie Lacroix, who lived in Terrebonne, Que., was staying in an Airbnb in the building with a friend after spending the day in Montreal.

“We’re talking a lot about her and how she was, how bubbly she was and how much she had to offer,” said Lacroix’s second cousin Laurence Anne Bettez. “She was very outgoing. She was funny. She was 18, so having fun was kind of her top priority right now.

“But she was at the same time very, very cautious. She always had someone who knew who she was with, where she was.”

Bettez says it feels like she’s lost a little sister.

“I have a 10-year difference with Charlie, so I was always the big cousin that she looked she looked up to,” said Bettez. “But at the same time as she grew up, our relationships evolved because she recognized herself a lot in me when I was her age.

“So we really had kind of a big sister, counselor type of relationship. It was kind of a mix of everything all together. So yeah, we were very close.”

Old family photo of Charlie Lacroix with her second cousin Laurence Anne Bettez. (Credit: Laurence Anne Bettez/provided)

The morning after the fire, Charlie’s friend – who knew where she was staying – called the teenager’s parents.

They went to the police station, and were told the 18-year-old called 911 twice within several minutes, unable to get out of the unit they were staying in, which had no window and no fire escape.

“We don’t really have hope that she might still be alive,” said Bettez. “The cell phone pinged her in the building at the time of the fire. So we know she never got out. It’s very hard to process, the fact that she’s gone. It’s a very traumatic way to go.

“It’s a very big roller-coaster right now. We’re very much in pain. And at the same time, we’re trying to tell ourselves that she’s at peace right now.”

WATCH: Crew still searching for six missing people in Old Montreal fire wreckage

One person has been confirmed dead and six people remain missing after Thursday’s fire. Investigators have yet to identify the deceased, as they continue to search for victims.

“It’s heart wrenching because we’re waiting and we want answers quickly, but at the same time, we want the investigation to be done correctly,” added Charlie’s cousin.

Flowers are being left nearby the site of the tragedy, not far from where local authorities have been conducting daily press briefings.

On Tuesday, the fire department revealed they started a search from above the building with the help of a crane. Rescue teams haven’t been able to physically enter for fear of collapse, making it more complex and longer for the discovery and identification of victims.

“For the public and especially for the families, they will feel that this process is long and every minute is unbearable for them,” said Insp. David Shane. “And we understand that the pathologists need to work on very serious protocols, and the identification of a victim needs to be done by two factors.”

Once more remains are found, DNA and dental records will identify them.

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Charlie’s father Louis-Philippe Lacroix told reporters on the weekend he wants the city to ensure all rental units have proper fire escapes.

Lacroix said he has no words to describe how he’s feeling other than “sad.” He said his daughter was someone who “had everything in front of her.”

“This happened, there’s nothing we can do, now do everything you freaking can to avoid another story like that,” he said.

Bettez is also hoping measures can be taken to prevent something like that from happening again.

“I don’t wish this situation that we’re in upon anyone,” she said. “I sure hope that if there are recommendations to be made, that they will be made in. Maybe hopefully try to avoid another tragedy like that.”

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Charlie’s parents have been in touch with at least one other family who has a missing loved one. Those missing are from Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.

Another presumed victim is 31-year-old American neuroscientist Dr. An Wu.

“There are people other than Charlie waiting too to be found and identified,” said Bettez. “So, I mean, we wish the same peace to those families and also that they get answers quickly, too.

“I think we’re all going through the same thing. Very much of a big roller-coaster right now.

“It’s important that we support each other, of course. My heart goes to the other families as well. I know how they feel right now, and it’s not easy to be in that position. But yeah, I just I think a lot of about them.”

Charlie Lacroix with her second cousin Laurence Anne Bettez. (Credit: Laurence Anne Bettez/provided)

And Bettez is thinking about her young cousin as well – the type of woman she was and was going to become.

“She had so much potential,” she said of Charlie. “She had so much to live to. And I hoped that we could have been the ones to witness it.

“But unfortunately that will not be the case. I will just assure myself to cherish the memories that I have with her forever. And, yeah, I will miss her entirely and completely.

“She deserves to have people know how extraordinary she was and yeah, that she will be forever missed.”