COLD LAKE - On Dec. 26, 2023, tragedy struck a neighborhood in Cold Lake North as a house fire left a family displaced and their home uninhabitable.
Deputy Fire Chief Norm Hollis said the fire was not intentional. “We found that it wasn’t intentional, it was accidental, and the family is displaced out of the structure now, and it either has to be fully repaired or torn down and rebuilt.”
Hollis added that no one was home at the time of the fire.
“The homeowner wasn’t home at the time. They were out walking their dog.”
Elaborating on the root cause of the situation, Hollis revealed, “It was basically electrical, non-criminal though.”
Hollis said the home became uninhabitable due to essential utilities being shut off. “It is uninhabitable because the power is shut off, the gas is shut off and the water is shut off now.”
Despite the fire that had happened, the family had a working smoke alarm in their home, which was sounding when the fire department arrived.
“The very good part about it is that they did have a working smoke alarm because it was sounding when we arrived. That's why we advise people to always check their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, make sure the batteries are checked, and replace them when they need replacing,” said Hollis.
“Smoke detectors are only good for 10 years, then replace them with new ones. You can buy them at stores in the area here, and also carbon monoxide detectors, it’s just an ounce of prevention for families,” said Hollis.
He encourages people to visit the fire department to educate themselves on fire safety. “We love people who come visit us and ask questions.”
