Historic Montreal church destroyed by fire; flames spread to adjacent retirement home

A fire has destroyed a historic former church in southwestern Montreal and the flames spread to an adjacent seniors home.

The fire broke out around 1:40 a.m. in the former Saint-Paul Church in the city’s Sud-Ouest borough.

No one was inside the building when it caught fire but officials evacuated 148 people from the nearby area as a precaution.

Among the evacuees were 73 people in the church’s former rectory, which had been converted into a seniors residence.

Firefighters said the flames spread to the seniors residence after it was evacuated.

The church was built between 1910-11 and is part of a heritage site comprised of a few buildings in the area.

Officials are investigating the cause of the fire.

The Canadian Press