Crews battle fire at abandoned home in downtown Edmonton
The cause of a Monday morning fire inside an abandoned home in downtown Edmonton remains under investigation.
Crews were called to the home in the area of 103rd Street and 98th Avenue around 4:30 a.m., Edmonton Fire Rescue Services spokesperson Kristie Bland told CBC News.
When crews arrived seven minutes later, the fire was "fully involved," Bland said.
The home was vacant, Bland said. There have been no reports of injuries, she said.
'A stubborn old house'
Firefighters on scene could be seen dousing the two-storey home with water as black smoke spewed from the roof.
As of 8:15 a.m., the fire was considered under control, said district fire chief Grant Johnson.
"We attacked it initially from the exterior, did a quick primary search of the interior, found no one in there and continued to fight the fire from the exterior," Johnson said in an interview from the scene.
The old construction posed a challenge for firefighters, he said.
"The power lines were a bit of an issue, setting up the ladder. Other than that it's just getting the hot spots. It's a stubborn old house.
"With the old stucco exterior, it's hard to penetrate the exterior walls. As well, it got up in the attic space, which is always hard to extinguish."
What remains of the home will likely be demolished, Johnson said.
"As of right now, we're getting some hot spots, waiting for a backhoe to show up," he said. "We'll probably pull the house down and make sure the fire is out."
