Prosecutors will not lay charges in the deadly fire at Résidence du Havre seniors home in L'Isle-Verte that killed 32 people on Jan 23, 2013.

Prosecutors will not lay charges in the deadly fire at Résidence du Havre seniors home in L'Isle-Verte that killed 32 people on Jan 23, 2013.
Photo Credit: Joane Bérubé

Prosecutors will not lay charges in seniors home fire that killed 32

Judicial authorities in Quebec will not lay charges in connection with a deadly fire at a seniors home in L’Isle-Verte, about 460 km northeast of Montreal, that killed 32 people almost two years ago, a senior provincial prosecutor said Monday.

Speaking at a news conference in nearby Rivière-du-Loup, Annie Landreville said there was simply not enough evidence to file charges for either arson or criminal negligence.

“Prosecutors must be reasonably sure that they can present evidence that establishes culpability beyond reasonable doubt,” she said. “The prosecutor’s first duty is to ensure that justice is done and it’s not seeking conviction at all costs.”

Landreville said while it was not clear what caused the fire that engulfed a part of  Résidence du Havre seniors home shortly after midnight on Jan 23, 2013, there was no indication of any foul play.

The investigation established that the fire started in the kitchen on the ground floor of the three-storey building and quickly spread to the rest of the building, Landreville said.

“We have no indication at this time and no evidence that could show that the fire was criminal or voluntary,” Landreville told reporters. “No accelerant was found and there is no indication that would suggest that the fire was set deliberately or by anyone in particular.”

Neither the lonely guard on duty that night, nor the owners of the seniors home or the first responders could be accused of criminal negligence under the current rules, Landreville said.

Victims’ families upset

Victims’ family members say they’re disappointed with the decision not to lay charges.

Jacqueline Dumont, whose husband was killed in the fire, said she feels let down.

“I’m very disappointed,” Dumont told CBC News.

“The caretaker was there to be a caretaker. Where was he?” she said, referring to the sole employee who was on duty that night.

Lessons learned
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The provincial coroner’s report into the blaze, released in February, made several recommendations to avoid such tragedies, including better fire-detection and fire-fighting tools for seniors residences.

Coroner Cyrille Delage blamed the inadequate fire prevention, a lack of staff, the significant delay in firefighters’ response to the scene, the lack of training and questionable management of emergency operations on site for the deaths.

Quebec has since tightened its regulations requiring sprinkler systems for seniors residences and beefed up training offered to volunteer firefighters in small communities.

With files from CBC News

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