Red Deer crews battle two house fires over the weekend, one pet lost
Fire crews responded to an apartment fire caused by improperly discarded smoking materials and a West Park house fire that claimed a family pet.
Why it matters
The incidents highlight fire safety risks from improperly discarded smoking materials and the rapid response capacity of Red Deer's emergency services.
Red Deer Emergency Services responded to two significant structure fires over the weekend. The first broke out Saturday just after 8 p.m. in a suite inside an apartment building in the 2900 block of 50 Avenue, with smoke visible from outside. Four apparatus, 17 firefighters and one ambulance responded, bringing the fire under control in about 15 minutes.
Crews searched all suites in the multi-unit building to ensure the fire had not spread. No one was injured, but the affected suite suffered fire and sprinkler-related water damage, which also affected units below, temporarily displacing two households. Other residents returned about 90 minutes after crews arrived. Acting Chief Curtis Schaefer said the cause was improper disposal of smoking materials, and RDES urged residents not to dispose of such materials in planters, vegetation or garbage.
The second fire occurred Sunday just before 11:30 a.m. at a home in West Park. Crews arrived within five minutes to find active fire both inside and outside the structure. Four engines, a ladder truck, a command unit and an ambulance responded, with firefighters bringing the blaze under control in about 25 minutes and remaining on scene for roughly two hours.
The home sustained significant damage and a family pet was lost, though no people were injured. An adjacent home's exterior siding was also damaged. The cause of the West Park fire remains under investigation.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.