Residents of Shawinigan are concerned following a suspicious fire at a six-unit building on rue Lambert, just weeks after another blaze in the area. Witnesses reported seeing flames and three suspects near the site. Investigators from Sûreté du Québec believe the fire may not be accidental. Fortunately, no injuries occurred among the tenants, but eight are now receiving emergency assistance. The building’s owner expresses distress over the loss, and while investigations are ongoing, recent fires are deemed unconnected.
Shawinigan residents are expressing deep concerns following a recent fire at a six-unit residential building on rue Lambert.
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Just two weeks after another fire in a downtown structure, a new suspicious blaze is being investigated in the Saint-Marc neighborhood by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
Many onlookers gathered to witness the scene, voicing their worries about the rising number of fires.
“It seems to be happening often. I’m not sure what’s going on in this area, but it’s definitely concerning,” said Sylvain Boucher, who recalled seeing massive flames erupting from the building on Monday evening.
The fire ignited shortly before 10 PM and quickly escalated, leading to the deployment of 35 firefighters from Shawinigan, Trois-Rivières, and Mont-Carmel.
Robert Nantel, a neighbor, reported seeing three individuals near the back of the building as he was returning from walking his dog.
“I asked, ‘Hey! What are you doing here?’ When I spoke to them, they moved to the front. That’s when I noticed the fire had started, and I thought, yes, they must have been involved,” Nantel recounted.
The Sûreté du Québec is actively looking into the situation.
“We can’t dismiss the possibility that the fire was intentionally set. Therefore, we’re treating this case as suspicious,” stated spokesperson Éloïse Cossette.
“We confirmed that it began at the rear of the building, and we have received information that suggests it may not have been accidental,” explained Jean-Philippe Leblanc, the fire safety department director in Shawinigan.
Affordable Housing at Risk
Fortunately, none of the ten residents were injured. Of those affected, eight are receiving emergency support from the Red Cross.
The building’s owner, Serge Aubé, is devastated, not only seeing his tenants displaced but also losing part of his retirement investment.
“My wife and I had just restored the place. We put in a lot of effort to make it livable. Now, it feels discouraging to watch it all go up in flames. The tenants were wonderful, almost like friends,” he lamented.
Representatives from Aubé’s insurance company were on the scene during a visit by TVA Nouvelles.
The owner awaits their assessment to determine if there’s a chance to salvage any part of the property.
“If I have to rebuild, I can’t charge the same low rents again. Right now, they were averaging below $600,” he mentioned.
Fortunately, the Sûreté du Québec has reassured the community: the two recent incidents of suspicious fires appear to be unrelated.
The police do not believe there is an arsonist at work in the area. The City of Shawinigan’s fire and civil security department provided a report confirming this. In 2023, there were 41 incidents requiring two or more alarms, while there have been 33 such cases by the end of October 2024.
For fires necessitating four alarms or more, firefighters recorded 10 incidents in 2024 compared to 33 in 2023. Therefore, the overall situation for the year doesn’t seem unusual up to this point.