Residents of a north Edmonton townhouse complex in Clareview are in shock and grief after a child died in an overnight fire and two others were taken to hospital.
On Friday, flowers were seen lying on a snowy sidewalk just outside of the townhouse where the tragedy struck.
Flowers outside a north Edmonton townhouse complex where a fire killed a child and sent three people to hospital. (Leo Cruzat, CityNews)
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services says the blaze at the Clareview Village townhouse complex near 31 Street and 132A Avenue in the Belmont neighbourhood broke out just after 1:20 a.m. Friday.
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services received a 911 call regarding a structure fire and arrived on scene at 1:23 a.m. Crews worked to evacuate the home and put out the fire. Firefighters rescued two children, but one had succumbed to their injuries.
Two children were transported to the hospital; one child was treated by firefighters and paramedics and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The other child is in serious but stable condition. Two adults from the property were treated, with one taken to hospital in serious, non-life-threatening condition, EFRS told CityNews in a statement.
Some neighbours who CityNews spoke to were too upset to appear on camera.
The smell of smoke still filled the air Friday afternoon. Broken windows were also seen on the second floor of the townhouse. A police cruiser was also seen parked outside the home all day Friday.
North Edmonton townhouse complex where a fire killed a child and sent three people to hospital. (Leo Cruzat, CityNews)
Arif Hussein, a resident of the complex, said he was not aware of the incident until Friday afternoon. “My heart goes out to the family. I heard about the big loss that happened. It’s terrifying as a parent myself with two kids, so it’s just scary. I wish there was something that could he been done.”
Fire chief Did Lazenby called it an absolute tragedy in a statement sending condolences to the family, “This loss is an absolute tragedy for their family, for our community, and for everyone in our department who responded overnight. We are all deeply affected. Our hearts go out to the family.”
“For the family and loved ones, please know that your grief is shared. We are here, and we will continue to support them in any way we can,” he said.
EFRS says around 8 fire units were on scene, along with and five AHS EMS units. The fire was called under control at 1:40 a.m. and out at 2:26 a.m.
The cause of the fire or the extent of the damage is not yet known.
“We he secured the scene, and our fire investigation team is on site. We are committed to a thorough, meticulous investigation to determine the cause. We ask for patience as we conduct this critical work,” Lazenby said in a statement.
-With files from Leo Cruzat
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