Damage is pegged at $1.3 million after fire destroyed a home in Upper Manor Estates in Sturgeon County on Saturday night.
No one was in the home when Sturgeon County emergency services responded to a call from a neighbour at 11:37 p.m. Saturday, said Fire Chief Pat Mahoney.
The first firefighters arriving on scene knew immediately that the house was lost.
“The first arriving units described the fire as fully involved with 70 per cent of the flames through the roof and doors and everything,” Mahoney said. “It was strictly a defensive operation.”
He estimated the damage to the home and contents at $1.3 million.
Crews from Namao, Morinville and Bon Accord were on scene at the subdivision, just north of St. Albert, until 6 a.m. Sunday, Mahoney said. The firefighting efforts involved a total of 25 members.
The cause of the fire is not known and might never be, Mahoney said.
“There’s not much left to work with. From my point of view, the cause will be undetermined,” he said.
Mahoney said that, because the owners were not home, they haven’t been able to offer any insight into the potential cause of the blaze.
By taking a defensive posture – meaning no crews attacked the blaze from the interior – the firefighters were able to save the home’s three-car garage and its contents. Defensive operations also involve protecting neighbouring homes and property.
