By Jessica Murphy
The Canadian Press
MONTREAL — A bouquet of bright yellow and white flowers was the only spot of colour on the porch of a Montreal home where an early-morning blaze took the lives of four people, including a seven-year-old boy.
Everything else was in shades of brown, black and grey — the blackened door that had been pulled aside by emergency crews, the charred furniture littering the winter-browned lawn.
The smell of smoke still hung in the air.
Pierre Gravel lived in the multi-level triplex in Verdun district where the fire broke out on a bottom-floor apartment shortly after 5 a.m. on Sunday.
''I was woken up by the screams,’' he said. ''I went to see what was going on. I thought they were having a fight or something. Then I saw the flames.’'
Gravel grabbed some clothes and ran from his home. The firefighters arrived moments later. He watched as the building burned.
''I didn’t see anyone leave,’' he said. ''It was strange because there were big flames coming out of the apartment but no people.’'
A 37-year-old woman and a man in his 40s were pronounced dead at the scene, while a 40-year-old woman and the young boy died later in hospital.
Two others, a man and a child, managed to escape unharmed. Gravel saw them watching the fire from across the street.
''I didn’t see his wife, anyone else,’' he said. ''He looked shocked.’'
Gravel said the family — a couple and two boys — had lived in the building for the last five or six years. Two other people were apparently staying with the couple.
Police have not released their names.
Another 15 people were evacuated from the building’s five other apartments. One woman was taken to the hospital to be treated for shock.
Neighbours were gathered on the sidewalks and balconies of the residential street on Sunday to watch the fire crews work.
''I saw all the lights, about eight fire trucks,’' said Julian Llanten, who witnessed them battling the flames.
''They took out some people. Unfortunately they were doing CPR. Later, I saw two more taken by the coroner.’'
More than 100 firefighters fought the five-alarm blaze.
Llanten said the blaze burned quickly and was brought under control within an hour.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
''Our investigators from the arson squad are now on the scene, they’re trying to determine the exact cause of the fire with the investigators of the fire department,’' said Montreal police spokeswoman Annie Lemieux.
Montreal fire chief Luc Robillard said it was likely the victims weren’t warned about the fire until it was too late.
''The fire was so big, we don’t think the fire detector was working,’' he said.
Monique Therien lives next door to the burned lodging and has taken some pets saved from one of the second-floor apartments under her wing.
She described the confusion and panic of the first few moments of the blaze.
''Our upstairs neighbour woke us up,’' she said. ''He was in pyjamas. He told us to get out quickly, there’s a fire. I went outside and saw black smoke. A few minutes later I saw flames.’'
Eric Rycroft, who lived nearby and knew the family, stopped by after hearing the news.
''I’ve known the father since I was 15,’' he said.
''They were friends of ours. We used to talk all the time, when we’d see each other on the street we used to say ‘hi’. It’s sad and it kinda hurts too. They’re usually very, very careful about things.’'
Many people recalled saying a neighbourly ''hello’’ to the parents as they came and went. Gravel sometimes watched the children playing in the streets and alleys.
''It was a typical Quebec family,’' he said. ''They had their highs and lows. And the kids were rambunctious kids, just kids.’'
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