On January 29th, around 7:30pm, Chestermere Emergency Services responded to a house fire on an acreage close to the intersection of Highway #1 and Paradise Road. The house was fully engulfed in flames upon arrival of the Chestermere Fire Service. At the time of the blaze, there were three people in the home along with a dog and a cat. Upon arrival of Chestermere Emergency Services, all three – and the two animals – were safely out of the home.
A male in his mid-forties, was believed to be intoxicated and was acting in a manner that officers were concerned for his well-being and that he may try and re-enter the home, which was now engulfed in flames. Members of the Chestermere and Strathmore RCMP detained the man for his own safety under the Mental Health Act. The man was transported to hospital in Calgary where he could be assessed and treated for some slight burns.
Within a couple hours of the blaze, RCMP Staff Sgt., Glenn Henry confirmed that the cause of the fire was not arson. “We are satisfied that the cause was not arson and are not pursing an arson investigation. At this point, it is believed that a large fire had been built in the fireplace in the home, it got out of hand and that is what lead to the fire”.
It is believed that the older home was expected to be demolished due to upcoming development and that the home had been vacant for some time.
Crews from Balzac and Langdon are also on scene to help battle the blaze and by around 9pm, it was brought under control. “This was a great example of how well our organizations work as a team,” commented Staff Sgt., Glenn Henry. “Both CFS and RCMP arrived on scene and everyone knew who was responsible for what and the job got done.”
Members of Chestermere Fire Service stayed on scene through the night and the next to ensure no flare ups occurred. There remain some questions to be answered such as who owns the property and if the occupants were legally allowed to be there.
