A home being built in deep south Edmonton was destroyed in a fire Sunday morning that left extensive damage to a neighbouring house as well.
The fire happened on Alwood Bend in the Allard neighbourhood, just off 41st Avenue Southwest and James Mowatt Trail.
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said the call came in at 5:53 a.m. and firefighters arrived at the scene at 5:59 a.m.
Five crews, or 20 firefighters, were initially dispatched but a second alarm was called at 6:08 a.m. and five additional crews were added for a total of about 40 firefighters.
The fire was called under control just before 7 a.m. but it took until just after 4 p.m. to be declared out.
The house where the fire began was gutted. It was framed and the exterior finished, but did not yet appear to have been drywalled.
The city said the fire did affect other homes — the roof on a neighbouring house was destroyed and the siding and walls melted and burned away.
The house on the other side also suffered some heat damage to the siding, but the extent of the damage wasn’t as bad.
There were no injuries reported.
By Monday morning, the house where the fire began had been torn down.
The fire is under investigation and neither EFRS nor police have yet said if it’s connected to the series of suspected extortion arsons that have happened across Edmonton in the past three months.
Another fire also happened at a house under construction in west Edmonton’s Secord neighbourhood on Monday morning, destroying it and damaging nine others. Police confirmed it is being investigated as part of the extortion case.
Global News spoke with several residents in the Allard area Monday, who didn’t want to be quoted because they’re worried about attracting any attention in light of recent alleged arsons.
Last week, Edmonton police said members of the South Asian business community are being threatened for money in exchange for “protection” and officials have said failure to pay out has resulted in arsons and drive-by shootings.
At least nine homes in Edmonton that have gone up in flames since the beginning of November 2023 are being looked at as part of the investigation.
Cases of such crimes are being investigated not just in Edmonton, but also in Ontario and in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
Police in Surrey and Abbotsford issued public warnings in November after business owners began to receive threatening letters.
Global News obtained a copy of one of the letters, which claimed to be from an “Indian gang” and demanded $2 million in “protection money” or the recipient would face retaliation.
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