Massive fire consumes buildings on acreage near Beaumont

WATCH ABOVE: Raw video of fire crews battling the flames. 

EDMONTON — Huge plumes of thick, black smoke billowed from a large acreage fire southeast of Edmonton on Sunday night. Leduc County fire crews were called around 6:45 p.m. to the Villetard property on 50th street, just north of Beaumont.

“We requested mutual aid from our other districts, as well as the City of Edmonton and City of Leduc, for manpower and water support,” said Tyler Bennett, Leduc County Fire Chief.

40 firefighters battled the blaze, which consumed at least four buildings burned on the property. Bennett said the former farm buildings were being used for storage and fabrication.

Firefighters had a hard time controlling the flames because of winds, and were in defensive mode for much of the night.

Muddy conditions because of the spring thaw also made it hard to get around the property. Fire trucks couldn’t get close to some of the buildings, so firefighters had to drag water lines around by hand. One truck got stuck in a ditch and had to be dragged out with a tractor.

Another challenge was getting water. Because the fire was on a acreage, water had to be trucked in from Beaumont.

“We’re doing the best that we can with the resources that we have,” he said on Sunday night, adding that crews would be on scene until Monday morning.

A few propane tanks ruptured early on, but no one was injured. The owners were at home when the fire began, but everyone was evacuated safely. Fire crews said the house was not at risk.

The full extent of the damage is expected to be discovered by Monday morning. The cause is still under investigation.