A St. Albert family is without a home after a fire burned the outside of their house on Saturday. The fire was the first of three that started in St. Albert that day. At least one was caused by arsonists.
Firefighters were called to the house fire at 14 Oakridge Dr. around 4:10 p.m. They were quickly able to put out the fire but continued to fight hot spots in the attic of the building, said fire investigator Mike Bos.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown but it likely started in a couple of garbage bins next to the garage. From there it spread onto the garage and then onto the building, said Bos.
“There was a fair amount of damage. Extensive damage to the outside of the residence and to the garage but the inside was fairly intact,” he said.
The family that lives in the house was not home on Saturday and nobody was hurt, he said.
But he expects that they cannot move back in until the roof gets fixed. The exterior of a neighbour’s home was also damaged from the flames. Neither St. Albert Family and Community Support Services nor the Salvation Army said they were working with the family at this point.
Fire services were called to two more fires that day.
A second fire destroyed a garage on 30 Durocher St. around 8:50 p.m. Fire investigator Les Mroz said that the cause was “improper disposal of smoking materials.” The garage was completely destroyed in the fire, including its contents and vehicles parked inside.
“It’s still standing but for all intents and purposes will have to be reconstructed,” Mroz said.
The third fire started around 11:24 p.m. in an abandoned farmhouse on Range Road 261 near Carrot Creek, which borders the city in the west. Mroz said the old farm site is a popular party spot for youth and it’s the second time fire services were called out there in six weeks.
“It was an intentionally set fire,” he said. “No one is living there any more so there are all these buildings that are at risk.”
He added that firefighters dealt with at least 17 intentionally started fires this year. Another building was set on fire near the Grain Elevator Park earlier this year, and several dumpsters and grassy areas were also set ablaze.
Whether the fires are related is unknown. The RCMP has caught some people who set the grass and dumpster fires. But he has not heard about any charges “laid in these vacant structure fires.”
“It is a cause for concern and luckily at this stage in the game there hasn’t been any occupied structure that’s been intentionally lit,” he said.
But the danger with any fire is that it spreads to neighbouring buildings, which, in some cases, could also destroy priceless, historic property, he said.
The farm building that burned on Saturday was not historic and would have been taken down eventually. But “we have enough issues with things starting on their own or people making mistakes,” he said.
“Nobody would ever want their property to be on fire. It’s one of the most devastating things that could happen to anyone.”
Mroz asks that residents report suspicious vehicles or people to the police. Without public assistance, many crimes remain unsolved, he said.
“If you know something or see something don’t be afraid to report it to the RCMP,” he said. “You never know. What you might think is insignificant could be of great interest to them and might help solve these things.”
