2 homes destroyed, a 3rd badly damaged in Lethbridge blaze

Two homes were destroyed and a third suffered severe damage in south Lethbridge after a fire that broke out Tuesday afternoon.

Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services got the call at about 2:25 p.m. with firefighters from all four stations in the city responding to the blaze in the 400 block of Fairmont Boulevard South.

When crews arrived, one house was engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading to the neighbouring homes.

There were no injuries reported.

Fire investigators were on scene with crews continuing to put out hot spots late Tuesday afternoon, and Global News was told that the investigators might not be able to start searching for answers until Wednesday morning due to extreme heat.

Hot, windy weather was creating additional challenges for fire crews.

Neighbour Mark Peta says he heard a loud boom and ran to his window.

“The garage and the Suburban were on fire, and within about five minutes, it was just crazy,” he said. “I just went, ‘Wow.’ And then all of a sudden I called the fire department, but a whole bunch of other people had.”

Peta says one of the two houses that was destroyed belongs to a young family with four children and a dog.

“Everybody’s out, the dog is out, they’re at my neighbour’s place,” he said. “Then I just saw the second house go up and the fire department set up their hoses.”

Neighbours on scene told Global News that the residents of the other destroyed house appear to be out of town.

Fire investigators have not yet determined the cause of the blaze.