CALGARY – Two people have been seriously injured and dozens of others have been left homeless after a fire destroyed an apartment complex in Penhold, south of Red Deer.
The fire, which broke out on Thursday evening, was big enough to be seen from several kilometers away.
Residents say the blaze quickly engulfed the 18 unit building, showering ash around the town.
“It’s just ash constantly hitting you in the eyes and the face,” explains witness Bailey McKay.
“When the building finally collapsed, it was just a wall of ash that kind of came at everyone,” adds McKay. “We had to turn around because there was so much of it. It was just horrible.”
As many as 50 firefighters from Penhold and surrounding areas were called to tackle the flames, and nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.
Fire chief Jim Pendergrast says the age of the building and its construction materials likely contributed to how quickly it went up in flames.
“You get a three-storey walk-up that’s 30 or 40-years-old, and has been renovated several times. The original siding was cedar – we know that. It burns very well,” explains Pendergrast.
The building burned to the ground in roughly 90 minutes, and then collapsed in on itself, making it dangerous for firefighters to get close.
“People inside had to just run for their lives to get out, is the reports we had,” says Pendergrast.
Resident Dean Junck says he raced from the building when thick black smoke began to pour from the apartment below him.
“I ran out into the hallway and a bunch of people were starting to emerge from their apartments,” says says Junck. “I pulled the fire alarm and ran down.”
Junck and his fiancee Kritika Singh are supposed to get married on April 26th.
“There goes all of our stuff,” says Singh, who was at work at the time of the blaze.
“We’re both alive,” says Junck.
“People we know that lived in that apartment building, they made it out,” adds Junck .
Donations have been pouring in for the affected residents, and both the Salvation Army and Red Cross have set up in the down, helping displaced residents.
The Town of Penhold asks that residents continue to limit their water use for the next few days or until otherwise stated.
WATCH: Jenna Bridges reports live from Penhold as crews work tirelessly to clean up after the devastating blaze.
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