Fact File: Anti-Muslim posts spread false claims about Quebec church fires

Recent online posts have spread false claims about Muslims intentionally lighting church fires in Quebec and across Canada. However, investigations have found that none of the fires were caused by arson; they were due to lightning strikes, construction work, or unknown reasons. The posts claimed that Muslims were responsible for more than 100 church arsons in Canada, but this is not supported by evidence.

In fact, a spike in church burnings across Canada began in 2021 but has not been linked to any specific group. One X post from August 9 claimed that churches in France were "burning down one after another" and included a video of a church ablaze. However, this video actually showed a fire at the Saint-Philomène church in Mercier, Quebec, in September 2019.

Police initially investigated the fire as a possible arson and arrested a 49-year-old man, but he was never charged, and the case was closed. The church spokesperson confirmed that no evidence suggests involvement of any individual, group, or Muslim organization.

Another church fire video shared online showed a collapsing spire, which turned out to be from a 2025 fire at the Église de l’Immaculée-Conception in St-Ours, Quebec, caused by a lightning strike. A church next to a parking lot was investigated as a potential Islamophobic incident, but it was actually the Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Allégresses Church in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The fire was determined to be accidental, possibly due to roof renovation work, with no evidence linking it to Muslims.

A CBC News investigation found that 33 churches burned down across Canada between May 2021 and December 2023, with 24 of those fires deliberately set, mostly on reserves or in small towns. While some speculated that the fires might be related to the Catholic Church's role in Canada's residential school system, police said there was no clear motive for the fires.

The motivations for the arsonists remain unclear, with Cpl. Troy Savinkoff of the Alberta RCMP stating, "It would appear that the motivations for these individuals thus far are as varied as the people themselves."