A Parkland County family is out of a home after fire ripped through their house west of Edmonton early Saturday morning.
Homeowner Tom Halapatz said he woke up at around 4:45 a.m. after the sound of an explosion at his house on Phyllis Drive just south of Big Lake.
“It was very loud and startling,” he said.
“We ran into the kitchen. I saw the deck area and the ceiling above the deck was fully engulfed in flames.”
Wife Joanne Prefontaine roused four visiting family members, including two children, from sleep and all six escaped the house safely. Then they looked back in disbelief.
“It only became apparent once I got outside how destructive the fire was going to be,” Halapatz said.
“It’s weird. It’s surreal. My wife and I built that house, we designed it; we have a lot of great memories in that house. I just can’t express the feeling of loss.”
The couple have been living in the house for the last 17 years.
“We just stood and watched it burn,” Prefontaine said, as her voice shook with emotion.
“It’s just absolutely devastating to watch your home burn. [There’s] lots of personal things you can never replace and memories, and we put a lot of work into making our home beautiful.”
Then Halaptaz did something unexpected – he ran back inside.
He justifies his actions by saying his computer is his livelihood, but Prefontaine said it was a terrifying move.
“I just yelled, ‘get out of the house in case it blows up or something’ and he did. He was in and out within a minute,” she said.
Dennis Wichuk, platoon chief for Parkland County Fire Services, said crews from the Acheson Fire Department and the Stony Plain Fire Department, both of which are volunteer run, helped put the flames out.
He said the blaze is not suspicious, but where and how it started is still under investigation.
The house is not salvageable but the couple have insurance and plan to rebuild.
Comments