Cigarette butt sparked massive house fire in north Edmonton

WATCH ABOVE: A family home went up in flames Thursday and now investigators believe they know the cause. Shallima Maharaj reports.

EDMONTON — Flames and thick, dark smoke engulfed a house in north Edmonton Thursday morning, causing an estimated $380,000 in damages.

Fire consumed the home in the area of 124 Street and 171 Avenue.

“When I was watching the fire, it just rode the side of the house up so fast,” said Marilyn Walliser, who lives two doors down. “When we were across the street, we could see it coming out of the roof.”

“We could actually feel the heat,” added her husband Clem.

Emergency crews were called to the home around 9:15 a.m. Firefighters said the blaze appears to have started at the back of the house on the deck.

“I seen a couple people pounding on the door to make sure no one was home… went across the street and by then, the fire was just engulfed the entire side of the house.

“The fire just took off from there.”

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No one was injured but the house is a total loss.

Fire officials confirmed later Thursday the cause was an improperly disposed of cigarette butt, which ignited peat moss in a wooden planter on the back deck.

WATCH: A house in the area of 124 Street and 171 Avenue went up in flames Thursday morning. Here is some viewer-submitted video.

“When the guys got here it was fully involved,” said Acting District Chief Troy Ciochetti. “I think their main priority was to save the houses next door… We called in a couple of extra rigs and saved those houses.”

“It did go up fast and the guys didn’t have much of a chance to save most of this house.”

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Damages are estimated to be $380,000 in total: $350,000 in structural damages and $30,000 for content losses.

The Walliser’s house also sustained some damage.

“The shingles are literally melted there down to the bare roof,” said Clem. “You can see a hole there from the heat.”

“Burning material on the deck and on the roof,” added Marilyn.

Still, the couple praised firefighters for their quick and efficient response.

“Kudos to them,” said Marilyn. “They’re awesome.”