LAC LA BICHE - Residents of the Birchwood Apartments building on Lac La Biche's 99 Street were still awaiting permission to get back inside their suites on Friday morning after a Thursday night fire completely gutted at least one unit in the building. No one was seriously injured in the blaze, but one woman did transport herself to hospital with symptoms of mild smoke inhalation.
Fire officials say the first call for the blaze came in a about 11:40 p.m. on Thursday.
On Friday morning, just hours after Lac La Biche and Plamondon fire crews had cleared the scene, smoke and fire damage was clearly visible on outside walls, and through broken windows of a second floor suite of the three-storey apartment block. A bedroom in that suite is where the fire is suspected to have started, said Lac La Biche Regional Fire Chief John Kokotilo, explaining that the occupants of the apartment were not home at the time of the fire. Children's clothing and an child's dinosaur costume could be seen hanging over the balcony railing outside the gutted suite, but Kokotilo didn't have specific information about the residents.
While a quick response by local fire crews contained the spread of the flames to the one apartment, adjoining suites and common areas of the buidling suffered smoke and water damage, he said.
"There was extensive damage to the apartment and more damage — smoke and water — will be in the adjoining apartments," he said, explaining that when crews arrived at the scene, firefighters entered the building to attack the blaze and search for residents who had not already left the building. Kokotilo said the fire displaced about 40 people overnight.
"The residents went to the Parkland hotel for the night with assistance coordinated by our enforcement services and our FCSS department."
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, but initial reports show it is likely not suspicious.
One resident, still wearing a sleeping gown from the night before, was standing in front of the building just before noon on Friday. She said she had been sleeping at about 11:30 p.m. Thursday night when family members woke her because fire alarms were ringing in the hallway. The woman said she could smell smoke as she ran outside, as two of her family members ran through the hallways banging on doors to alert other residents.
Residents were waiting for the building's owners to learn details from a building inspector before being allowed back inside, Friday.
Kokotilo says any residents affected by the blaze can find support and assistance through the municipality's FCSS department or by calling Fire Services at 780-623-6774.
Further updates on the fire were not available before Lakeland This Week's early Thanksgiving editorial deadlines. See www.lakelandtoday.ca for updates that may have been given over the weekend.
