R.D.P. house explodes in flames in an apparent act of arson
Men seen running from scene shortly before explosion
A two-storey home in Rivièredes-Prairies erupted in a ball of flames Thursday, the apparent target of arson.
Witnesses told police that they saw men running from the scene at the time of the explosion and subsequent fire at a residence on Marie-Anne Tison St. in the city’s northeast.
Montreal police Const. Anie Lemieux said it appears the men broke into the house and fled just before neighbours heard the blast.
At this point, it is believed there was no one in the house at the time of the fire, and there are no injuries.
Neighbours said they heard a whooshing noise and saw a fireball coming out of the home.
The explosion blew out windows and doors across the street.
“All I can confirm at this point is that we got information f rom the neighbours that they saw people enter the house and running away shortly after they hear the explosion,” Lemieux said. “All this information has to be verified to get the whole story.”
The call to police came in shortly after 11 a.m. and, within an hour, the home was destroyed. A natural gas line had to be turned off to prevent further danger.
Firefighters could do nothing to save the structure from the flames and the single-
Neighbours said they heard a whooshing noise and saw a fireball coming out of the home.
family home was quickly reduced to a mere shell.
A spokesperson with the Montreal fire department confirmed that, after the initial explosion, there was a gas leak from the affected home. Gaz Métropolitain was called in to turn off the flow. The utility dug into the street and cut the supply to the burning house and the house to its right.
Firefighters on ladders poured water on the house next door to prevent sparks and flames driven by 32 km/h winds from causing another fire. The neighbouring house sustained some damage.
Police have established a security perimeter around the residential site.
Because of the possible criminal nature of the blaze, the Montreal police have taken over the case from the fire department. Arson squad and criminal investigators were on site, Lemieux said.
“Police have met with the homeowner and he is a man not known to police,” the police officer said.
The residence is owned by Alex François and Betty Badio, show property records.
They purchased the home for $445,000 from the builder in 2010 and moved in a year later than anticipated, in 2011.
The owners and the builder, Trilikon Construction Inc., were embroiled in a dispute over shoddy masonry work. An arbitration decision dated last May found in favour of François and Badio and ordered Trilikon to redo much of the exterior brick work. That arbitration decision overturned an earlier ruling that found François and Badio’s pre-closing inspection should have turned up the deficient brick work just before the sale was finalized.
According to documents filed as part of their case, François is employed as a plumber with the city of Montreal, although the arbiter noted that, in the initial contract to purchase the home, he listed himself as a real estate agent. François later clarified that he moonlights in real estate and had only brokered the sale of three properties.
Construction Trilikon is a residential building company based on nearby Perras Blvd., owned by members of the Trinci family.
A backhoe was on standby all afternoon and, shortly after 3 p.m. the smouldering ruins of the house were razed to the level of the concrete foundation because the structure was declared unsafe.