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Apartment fire started by 11-year-old: Police

Oct 13, 2017 | 11:52 AM

The fire at a Prince Albert apartment building that led to several minor injuries and left the tenants displaced early this month was started by a child with a lighter, city police said.

“The fire was started by an 11-year-old child,” Sgt. Travis Willie of the Prince Albert Police Service said. “He was playing with a lighter in a storage room in the building.”

The flames quickly grew out of control and the child fled the building. No charges will be laid, Willie said, as youths under age 12 cannot be criminally charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Although the child cannot be charged for his actions, Willie said officers have spoken with the child and his family and brought the case to the attention of social services.

“If there are issues there that

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The boy was not a resident of the apartment, Willie said.

Firefighters were first called to the 28th St. E. building shortly before 5 p.m., Oct. 3, and found a large fire burning on one side of the three-storey structure. Members of Prince Albert’s fire department aggressively attacked the fire in order to enter and search the structure, and were able to bring the fire under control.

Three people were taken to hospital by Parkland Ambulance paramedics, where they were treated for minor injuries. One firefighter was hospitalized as a precaution, but returned to work the following day. The blaze was deemed suspicious, and the investigation was handed over to the city police.

Fifteen of the 20 apartment suites were occupied at the time of the fire, and all residents were forced to eventually leave the building. The Red Cross established temporary housing and apartment owners Avenue Living quickly worked to resettle the displaced tenants.

Earlier this week, Avenue Living spokesperson Andrew Cunningham told paNOW all of the displaced residents have been moved into long-term residences at other Avenue properties. The contents of two suites were completely destroyed, he said, but both tenants were insured.

 

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews