An overnight fire caused extensive damage to a home that appeared to still be under construction in southeast Edmonton on Friday.
The fire broke out at 1915 – 20 Ave. in the Laurel neighbourhood just after 1:30 a.m.
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said seven units, or around 30 firefighters, responded, with the first crew arriving on scene at 1:39 a.m. to the house engulfed in flames.
The fire was brought under control just after 3 a.m. and put out at 5:52 a.m. No one was injured in the fire at the house, which the city said was not yet occupied.
As the sun came up, damage could be seen both to the exterior and interior of the home. A black streak of charring ran up the side of the house where a basement entrance door is located.
The inside of the home also appeared to be gutted by the flames, which went up to the roof of the home. Windows were blown out and what drywall had been installed was torched.
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On Monday, police confirmed the fire was suspicious but investigators are still working to determine if it’s connected to several other fires that have taken place at under-construction homes in the Edmonton area in recent months, which police are investigating as part of a larger extortion scheme.
Both the city and the Edmonton Police Service said the cause remains under investigation, and a damage estimate has yet to be completed.
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