A Montreal bar sustained "significant damage" after what police say was an arson attack early Wednesday morning.

Montreal police spokesperson Véronique Dubuc told the media that at around 5:15 a.m., authorities received several 911 calls reporting the fire inside the businesses on rue Fleury near the intersection with boulevard Saint-Michel in the borough of Montréal-Nord.

Flames were visible inside the bar when officers arrived, Dubuc said, and the fire department was called to extinguish them. Residents in the building above the bar were evacuated. There were no injuries.

Police say they heard from witnesses who recalled the sound of glass breaking and a vehicle with "one or two" individuals leaving the scene when the fire started.

As of 6:40 a.m., one block of rue Fleury between Saint-Michel and rue J.J.-Gagnier was still closed but Dubuc anticipated the impact on local traffic would be minor.

The investigation is ongoing.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.