A blaze in Hillcrest created a bright scene well into the night as firefighters battled an inferno, leaving an abandoned home in ruins, Aug. 28.
The fire at 120 Hillcrest Drive SW began at about 10:30 p.m. The bungalow had no occupants inside at the time of the blaze. RCMP is treating the fire as suspicious while investigators try to determine the cause of the blaze.
“It was a defensive fire because when we arrived and were notified, it was through the roof,” said Kevin Weinberger, Airdrie fire chief. “There were some (nearby) grasses that we had to also control.”
Weinberger said nine firefighters, two trucks and one tanker were on scene and crews worked until about 2:30 a.m. before they were satisfied the fire was contained.
Because the house collapsed into itself, it was still smouldering and crews were called out the next morning to make sure the situation did not escalate again.
Weinberger encourages Airdronians to be cautious with potential fire hazards in the summer.
“Everybody just needs to be aware of surroundings,” said Weinberger. “If you have any kind of cooking units like a barbecue or things like that, you have to be extra aware.”
RCMP was also on scene and formed a security perimeter to ensure nobody came too close to the fire.
“We will work very closely with the Airdrie fire investigator to find the cause of the blaze,” said Const. Francine Hennelly. “We automatically treat it suspiciously because we have no knowledge of it otherwise.”
The house was owned, but abandoned, according to Hennelly, who couldn’t give the homeowner’s name.
There have been a few fires in Airdrie in recent weeks, most notably a blaze that gutted a Big Springs home in Aug. 3.
Total damages to the home were unknown at press time.
The fire took place during a Rocky View County Level II fire ban that was lifted on Aug. 31.
