2 men charged in $6M Windermere arson case

Two men have been charged with arson, six months after a $6 million fire destroyed a condo development under construction in south Edmonton.

The four-storey Windermere condo development, located at 10th Avenue and 173rd Street, was still under construction in March when security cameras caught someone breaking into the building and setting one or more fires inside.

A 28-year-old construction framer has been charged with arson, possession of incendiary material, breaking and entering, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, mischief, fraud and weapons charges.

The framer is also facing an unrelated arson charge in connection with a 2011 fire at a residential building site in Pigeon Lake, where he had been working at the time.

A second man, 22, has been charged with arson, possession of incendiary material, break and enter, theft under $5,000 and conspiracy.

“This was a complex investigation that lasted over six months,” said Staff Sgt. Terry Innes in a statement. “These arrests were achieved as a result of the extensive time commitment and excellent police work by dozens of members from specialized areas across the Edmonton Police Service.”

In a written statement, Clay Hamdon, president of Cove Properties, thanked the police and fire department for their work and "dogged dedication" in tracking down the suspects.

"This was a difficult time for our management, staff and site personnel, but the professionalism, quality, and expertise exhibited by the EPS and EFD made the process much easier on us...," he wrote.

"We owe them a debt of gratitude."

Neighbours were woken up and eight houses evacuated around 3:30 a.m. Fire crews managed to get the flames under control within an hour, but the ruins continued to smoulder through much of the following day.

Of the 79 units in the building, 50 had been sold, with the first tenants set to move in sometime in August.