Fire at vacant building in downtown Montreal
Posted April 6, 2026 2:34 pm.
Last Updated April 7, 2026 9:46 am.
Dozens of firefighters worked to bring a fire under control in downtown Montreal on Monday afternoon.
The Montreal Fire Department (SIM) was onsite around 1:15 p.m. at a vacant building on Saint-Laurent Blvd., near Milton Street.
Two families were forced out of their homes as a precaution.
The building had already been partially taken down and only the front was still standing when the fire broke out.
About 40 to 50 firefighters were able to bring the flames under control by about 3:12 p.m.
The file was transferred to Montreal Police, which could mean that firefighters suspect it is criminal in nature.
A large plume of smoke blanketed the neighbourhood after the fire broke out, affecting air quality. Air quality dropped from good to poor during the 1 p.m. reading from the downtown Montreal station.
Traffic was blocked within the area near Ontario, Saint-Dominique, Prince Arthur, and Saint-Urbain Streets.
–With files from La Presse Canadienne, translated by CityNews
