Police are investigating a suspicious fire that broke out early Monday morning in a commercial and residential building in northeastern Montreal.

The fire at the corner of Jean Talon St. and 17th Ave. is believed to have been started by someone who broke into the Café La Barca restaurant on the main floor through the back door at around 4 a.m.

Police believe he threw a Molotov Cocktail or similarly powerful flammable object that led to the restaurant's windows being blown out.

The fire took little time to take hold of the building, particularly the top two floors of the three-storey building where people lived.

All residents were evacuated and the fire was extinguished by the 20-odd firefighters on the scene.

No arrests have been made.