L'Isle-Verte fire: Quebec prosecutor won't lay charges

Victims' family members say they're disappointedno criminal charges will be laid in connection with the fire that tore througha seniors' residence inL'Isle-Verte, Que.,nearly two years ago, killing 32 people trapped inside.

The Rsidence du Havrehoused 52 elderly people, including many whocouldn't move around without the use of a walker or wheelchair.

Jacqueline Dumont, whosehusband was killed in the fire, said the news that no charges would be laidleaves her feelinglet down.

"I'm very disappointed," she said.

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

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The wing of theRsidenceduHavrethat burned to the ground was not equipped with automaticsprinklers.

No proof of arson, criminal negligence

Speaking at a news conference in Rivire-du-Loupon Monday,senior provincial prosecutor AnnieLandrevilleconfirmed that no charges are to be laid.

Rivire-du-Loup is about 28kilometres southwest of L'Isle-Verte.

"Neither the people who were present that night, when the fire started, nor the owners, nor the people who intervened during the fire, can be considered as being negligent in a criminal sense," she said.

Landreville said she could find no proof of a crime either arson or criminal negligencein the police investigation.

"We're not able to show or establish beyond reasonable doubt that there was a criminal infraction," she said.

Landreville added that she would have to be "reasonably convinced"she could convict someone in order to press charges.

Who is to blame?

Thecoroner's report into the early morning fire, released in February, madeseveral recommendations to avoid such tragedies, including better fire-detection tools for seniors' residences.

The coroner also pointed to the lack of emergency personnel on duty the night of the fire, the significant delay in firefighters' response to the scene and questionable management of emergency operations on site.

Quebec has since expanded its sprinkler requirements for seniors' residences.

During the coroner's inquest, witnesses said that there was only one staff member on duty the night of the fire and the main door had a latch to prevent patientswith dementia from leaving the building.

In the wake of the coroner's report,Roch Bernier, one of co-owners of theRsidenceduHavre,said a combination of factors led to the tragedy.

He had filed a lawsuit against the municipality allegingthe community failed to implement emergency plans that might have lowered the death toll, but that was later withdrawn.

Yvan Charron, the chief of L'Isle-Verte's fire department at the time of the fire, stepped down in January 2015.