Evidence leads Quebec police to believe fatal fire at seniors’ home was criminal

Police released two photos of the back of a man they believe could be important to the case and are asking people to come forward with information about him. They say the man is white, has dark hair and was wearing a plaid shirt.

Forty-three people were rescued after the fire at the Oasis seniors’ residence in Terrebonne, just north of Montreal, with more than 10 being sent to hospital.

Christian Gagne, deputy head of the region’s health-care agency, said he expected 41 seniors to be placed in new care facilities by Monday afternoon.

He added that two men with injuries not considered life-threatening were still receiving treatment in hospital.

Quebec’s minister responsible for seniors said the residence was in the process of installing a sprinkler system but could not say whether it had been activated during the fire.

Radio-Canada reported Monday the company contracted to install the sprinklers said the system was not yet operational.

The company could not be reached for comment.

In 2015, the Quebec government made it mandatory for all such homes to be equipped with automatic sprinklers.

The province granted residence operators a five-year grace period to retrofit their homes.

That regulation came in the wake of a coroner’s report into a tragic blaze in L’Isle-Verte that killed 32 seniors in 2014.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Evidence leads Quebec police to believe fatal fire at seniors’ home was criminal

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