Fire rips through building that once housed Montreal's Super Sexe strip club

Montreal firefighters battled a four-alarm fire inin the former Super Sexe strip clubdowntown Saturday night.

The fire department responded to a call Saturday at 11:40 p.m. after reports of the fire breaking outin the vacant3-storey commercial building at 690Sainte-Catherine Street West near the corner of McGill College Avenue.

William Murray, Section Chief for prevention at the Montreal Fire Department, says the operation involved about 105 firefighters and 31 vehicles.

He says the cause of the fire is unknown, but theysuspectit's of a criminal nature so the investigation has been handed over to Montreal police.

No one was injured, and the fire is now under control.

In a tweet Sunday morning, Glenn Castanheira, the executive director of downtown Montreal's merchant's association, said the group was urging authorities for months to ensure the upkeep of buildings speculators abandoned.

"It is unacceptable that this practice is tolerated on the largest commercial artery in the country," he wrote.

"History is repeating itself."