All safe in suspected arson-caused house fire

On Tuesday Prince Albert Police Service launched an arson investigation into a fire that gutted a west end house the previous day, leaving it uninhabitable for its five residents.

“Any house fire of that extent typically is considered suspicious until proven otherwise,” Fire Chief Jason Everitt said.

At a media conference, police spokesman Sgt. Brandon Mudry confirmed police are treating the home on the 1400 block of 15th Street West as a crime scene.

When firefighters arrived on Monday they were unsure if anyone was in the home. The fire was so hot that “there was no way the crews could make an entry at that point, so they fought the fire defensively,” Everitt explained.

After 30 minutes they were able to make a quick search through the home. But the flames quickly picked up again.

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While it’s not sure if the home’s five residents – two adults and three children – were there when the fire sparked, Everitt confirmed everyone there at the time was “able to exit the structure on their own” before the 9-11 call was made by a neighbour.

Now, after a fire that raged for more than three hours Monday afternoon, icicles dangle from spots sprayed down by fire crews. Charred Christmas decorations still hang outside.

Police blocked off the street and back alley around the home until investigators with police and the fire department arrived. Their goal is to find the cause.

“We don’t have the ability right now to say where it started because of how fast the fire spread and the extent of the fire upon our arrival,” Everitt explained.

The house fire’s cause hasn’t been identified, but a collaborative investigation by Prince Albert Fire Department and Prince Albert Police Service is now underway.

Everitt added that recent dips in temperature make fighting fires difficult.

“It’s hard on equipment, very difficult to keep the water flowing when it’s that cold, and it’s hard on personnel as well.”

claskowski@rawlco.com

On Twitter: @chelsealaskowsk