Head of Montreal's fire service says safety inspections of evacuation routes never stopped

Montreal Fire Chief Richard Liebmann denies claims that fire safety inspections of buildings in the city ever stopped, in any way, although he says there was a moratorium on certain types of legal recourse.

"The inspections were always maintained," Liebmann said at a news conference late Tuesday afternoon. "Fire prevention has always been a very, very high priority for me."

Liebmann's comments came after Mayor Valérie Plante said earlier in the day that fire inspectors temporarily stopped investigating building evacuation routes in 2018 — years before the 2023 fire that ripped through an Old Montreal heritage building, leaving seven people dead.

Former tenants and guests have previously told CBC News they were concerned about the safety of the building, and inspection reports have shown problems with the emergency exits were repeatedly flagged more than a decade before the fire on March 16.

Plante told city council Tuesday that a moratorium on investigations went into effect in 2018 at the request of Quebec's provincial prosecutor's office.

According to Plante, prosecutors advised the fire department they were unable to take some of the cases against building owners to court because the evidence gathered by the department's inspectors was insufficient.

The moratorium was first reported Monday in The Globe and Mail and later confirmed with documents obtained by Radio-Canada.

On Tuesday morning, Plante said she had not been made aware of the moratorium prior to the publication of the news report.

Then Plante said that after speaking with the fire department, she learned that investigations into evacuation routes had resumed in 2021, two years before the Old Montreal fire, contrary to what was suggested in the Globe and Mail.

Responding to a question from the Ensemble Montréal leader, Aref Salem, Plante said she wants to "shine a light" on the situation and make sure the fire department has sufficient resources to inspect buildings in Montreal.

In a statement, Salem said his party was "shocked" that Plante had not known about the moratorium.

"If information of this magnitude escapes her, what other vital information is she missing?" he asked.

"The safety of our Montrealers is our priority," Plante later tweeted. She said all the procedures in place will be subject to the coroner's inquest into the March 16 fire that is now underway, and "we will co-operate fully."

According to a memo obtained by Radio-Canada, the moratorium on investigations into evacuation routes — which include, for instance, emergency exit signage and doors that meet the safety code — was issued Oct. 26, 2018.

The memo says the moratorium was issued because of inspectors' lack of training, as well as standards that differed from those of the Régie du bâtiment.

Robert Henley, who served as operations chief for the Montreal fire department in the 1990s, said such a moratorium was unheard of during his time with the department.

"I've never seen that in my whole career," he said.

Liebmann, who became Montreal's 23rd fire chief in January 2021, said he has been working to increase fire safety over the last couple years.

"There was a moratorium on certain types of legal recourses and expertise with respect to complex dossiers, but we never at any time paused our inspections with respect to means of evacuations or any other aspect of fire inspections," Liebmann said.

He said a new vision for fire safety was established last year, with a focus on ensuring buildings are up to code quickly rather than having to rely on legal proceedings.

He said fire safety and prevention are ultimately the combined responsibility of building owners, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec — the provincial body charged with enforcing the Building Act — the fire service and those at the municipal level who approve building plans.

Documents previously obtained by CBC News show fire inspectors repeatedly flagged problems at the site of the Old Montreal building, located at the intersection of Place d'Youville and du Port Street.

A fire inspector found 10 violations during a visit to the building in May 2018, including the lack of a working fire alarm, no clear signage for the emergency exits and a missing smoke detector in the stairway.

The problems had not been addressed when the inspector returned in September of that year.

Another document obtained by Radio-Canada shows fire inspectors had ramped up inspections in the aftermath of the fatal fire in Old Montreal.

Robert Rousseau, a section chief in the fire department's prevention division, sent staff an email on April 2, saying that that a "crisis unit" dubbed "Operation Vulcain" had been set up after the fire.

The email appears to confirm that investigations into evacuation routes had resumed. It urged staff to ensure they are up to date with their training regarding evacuation routes and smoke alarms.

Rousseau requested that staff flag "as many nonconformities as possible," but at the same time, urged caution.

"This is a sensitive operation in a highly publicized context. We rely on your usual discretion and professionalism," Rousseau wrote.

Randy Sears, the father of one of the victims, has sought leave to launch a class-action lawsuit against the building's owner, the operators of the short-term rental units and Airbnb.

Annette Lefebvre, the lawyer involved in the class action, said a moratorium would be "shocking" given the stakes of such inspections.

"I really do not see the reason for maintaining a moratorium for so many years," she said. "This is a matter of public safety."

Journalist

Benjamin Shingler is a senior writer based in Montreal, covering climate change, health and social issues. He previously worked at The Canadian Press and the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal.

With files from Steve Rukavina