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Update: House fire could have been worse, says fire chief

Okotoks firefighters prevented further damage despite hot, windy conditions when a house in the town’s north side ignited Friday afternoon.
fire-knowles
Okotoks and Heritage Heights fire crews battle a house fire on Knowles Avenue in Okotoks’ north end on Friday afternoon.

Okotoks firefighters prevented further damage despite hot, windy conditions when a house in the town’s north side ignited Friday afternoon. Okotoks Fire Chief Ken Thevenot said the backside of a home on Knowles Avenue was fully engulfed in flames when he and his crew of about 15 firefighters arrived on scene just after 3 p.m. Occupants in the neighbouring homes were evacuated and firefighters got to work preventing the blaze from spreading. “It went up very quickly,” he said. “It was fully involved when we got there. A man was in the home at the time (it started) and met us out front upon our arrival.” Thevenot said there were no other occupants in the home. “To my knowledge there was no animals,” he said. “There were no injuries reported at all.” Neighbour Mason Palin was on his way home when he noticed the smoke. “Before I came around the corner I saw black smoke and I thought it was my place at first,” he said. “I phoned my dad and said, ‘I think my place is on fire.’” Palin pulled up and saw his neighbour’s house was engulfed in flames and noticed the door was partially open. He rushed over to make sure no one was inside. “I yelled and he came running,” he said. “I looked in and the kitchen was on fire. I yelled to someone on the street to call 911.” Mason said he acted quickly to protect his most precious belongings before the fire spread too far. “I ran my dog to the neighbour’s across the street,” he said. “I got my bikes out of the garage and rolled them on the street around the corner.” Palin watched as firefighters fought to put out the blaze and became concerned that his house might also catch. “I thought it was going to burn down,” he said, adding his back fence and grass caught fire. Also damaged was the siding and barbecue cover. Palin said he is grateful for the fire department’s efforts to put out the blaze and save the neighbouring homes. “They fought hard to keep the fire contained,” he said. “They were putting a lot of water on our house.” Although the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, Thevenot believes it originated from the back of the house. “What I had seen from a distance looked like it started at the back of the house or yard,” he said. Firefighters worked about three hours to put out the blaze. The fire department in Heritage Pointe was called in to assist and EMS personnel frequently checked the firefighters who were battling the blaze in their heavy suits to ensure they were hydrated, said Thevenot. ATCO Gas and Fortis Alberta had crews on site to disconnect the electricity and gas to the home, Thevenot added. “At first we couldn’t shut down the electricity to the house because of debris that had fallen down and the flames,” he said. Once the fire was extinguished, two firefighters remained on scene Friday night and Saturday morning to keep watch. “Given the heat and wind we didn’t want to rekindle the fire,” said Thevenot. The house was destroyed in the blaze and an unattached garage sustained damage to the roof. “Obviously the house will have to be taken down,” he said. “It’s a total loss.” Neighbouring homes only received minor damage to the siding, thanks to the efforts of firefighters, said Thevenot. “Everybody contributed to extinguishing the fire in a timely fashion so we didn’t have much damage to the other homes,” he said. “It was a good collaborative effort. We worked together really well to have a result that could have been worse. It would have easily caught two or three homes.” Thevenot said it’s been a while since a fire has destroyed a home in Okotoks. To help prevent house fires, Thevenot encourage the public to properly dispose of burning cigarettes and ensure fire pits are extinguished in windy conditions or when not being supervised. A Go Fund Me account has been started for the family living in the home with a goal of raising $15,000. Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/okotoks-house-fire-family

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