Wood Buffalo fire officials say they hope to have more information in the coming days on what caused Monday’s massive apartment building fire but are maintaining Fort McMurray is well-equipped to handle fires in the community.
“Our investigation crews were in there today, they should have something hopefully… by the end of the week,” Brad Grainger, deputy chief of operations and technical services with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, said. “What people need to understand is this is, unfortunately, a normal fire and EMS response for us. This had nothing to do with the wildland fires and it was just an unfortunate incident.”
Fire crews were called to a “large fire” at a four-storey apartment building in downtown Fort McMurray at around 8 p.m. Monday, according to officials with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
Watch below: Fire crews respond to a large fire at a downtown Fort McMurray apartment building on June 6, 2016. (COURTESY: Brent Kvill)
The fire broke out at Cassia Manor at Franklin Landing, which is located at 8016B Franklin Avenue. Officials said there were no reports of any injuries and shortly after 10 p.m. said the fire was under control. The cause of the fire is now under investigation, but Bob Couture with the municipality said it was not wildfire-related.
Grainger said he wanted to reassure Fort McMurray residents that the local fire service is capable of protecting the community.
“Going forward, we can comfortably say that the urban service area is well protected, we’ve had (Alberta) Forestry that have been able to help us do that,” he said. “From an urban service perspective, we’re fully staffed, we’ve got everybody back and we’ve taken over full fire and EMS services, basically for the last week.”
Watch below: Fire crews respond to a large fire at a downtown Fort McMurray apartment building on June 6, 2016. (COURTESY: Beck Mais)
An official with Cassia Manor told Global News there are over 170 suites in the three buildings that make up the complex. She said the building that burned down had 15 units on one floor and 14 on the other three. She would not say whether anyone had returned to the building since re-entry into Fort McMurray began.
James Mark Macdonald, who has been in Fort McMurray since early May to help set up camps and bases for first responders, saw the fire when it broke out and recorded video of the building going up in flames.
He said he was walking out of a hardware shop when he noticed the blaze.
“I just happened to notice a little puff of smoke rising over the rooftop of the apartment building and luckily, just as I was coming out, there was a cop coming in and I stopped her and I said, ‘you might want to take a look at that’ and that’s when she turned around and hit the lights and rushed down to where it was.”
Watch below: A large fire broke out in downtown Fort McMurray Monday and a witness describes the scene as he captured video of the blaze. (COURTESY: James Mark Macdonald)
Macdonald said after about 10 minutes of only smoke being visible, the fire started raging and flames began shooting up about 15 metres into the air.
“It was so intense,” he said. “It’s got to put some fear into people.”
Thousands of Fort McMurray residents displaced by a massive wildfire last month have since returned through the province’s voluntary, phased re-entry plan which was completed this weekend.
When asked how Monday’s fire was mentally affecting fire crews who have already been so busy over the past month, Grainger suggested firefighters are dealing well with the turn of events.
“The morale is, as you can imagine… morale had started to waver (but) our boys and girls have had a chance to rest, relax, get some time off and each day that they’re back they’re a little more energized and morale is picking up.”
READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire: Blaze now 70% contained, Suncor to ramp up production
With files from Shallima Maharaj, Global News.