Three criminal fires were set overnight in Montreal and its suburbs.

The first fire was set around 11 p.m. Monday in a restaurant on Hochelaga St.

Firefighters rushed to Chez Mon Copain and had to order the road closed near Lapointe St. as they battled the fire.

Apartments above the restaurant were evacuated, but nobody was hurt by the fire or smoke.

Once firefighters were done they found traces of accelerant on the scene.

Witnesses said they saw two men dressed in black flee the area in a white car moments before the flames broke out.

A second arson took place in Montreal on Nice St. near Jarry St. around 1:30 a.m.

In this case ten people had to leave their homes for a short time while firefighters put out several fires at an apartment building.

The fire department said there were one fire was set in a ground-floor apartment in the four-unit building, while the car of a tenant who lived in that apartment was also set on fire.

Once again, traces of accelerant were found at the scene.

Nobody was hurt.

Damage is estimated at $80,000.

The third criminal fire of the night took place in the South shore community of Sainte Catherine.

Around 3 a.m. someone hurled a Molotov cocktail through the window of a house on Brebeuf St.

While frightening, damage was minimal and nobody was hurt.

Rousillon police have transferred the investigation to the Sureté du Quebec, believing it is linked to organized crime.