Some residents along Coulee Creek Lane S. woke up on Tuesday to Lethbridge Fire and EMS responding to a house fire at around 6:20 a.m.
“Crews arrived here to find… a significant amount of flames on the back side of the house from the area of the back deck,” said on-duty platoon chief David Heatherington.
“The flames were impinging on the neighbours’ house.”
According to the homeowner — who didn’t want to appear on camera — he awoke to a house full of smoke at around 6 a.m. and it only took around 20 minutes for the roof to cave in.
The two people and dog inside the home managed to get out safely.
Neighbours told Global News they heard a popping sound sometime after 6 a.m.
One witness said she first saw fire on the southeast corner of the home that faces the alley, before the flames moved across the back side of the house. Damage to the structure appeared to be extensive.
“The house will be a writeoff,” Heatherington said.
“The house is worth $420,000, but the contents will be another $100,000 easy, so it’s pushing about half-a-million dollars without difficulty.”
Battling high winds, fire officials said crews were able to knock down the flames quickly and keep the fire from spreading further, although a neighbouring home was damaged. Melted siding on that home was easily visible from the street. The residents of that property are able to remain in their house, however.
The cause and exact origin of the fire is under investigation.
“We have nothing to indicate anything that’s unusual from a malicious point of view. So far, everything’s looking to be accidental,” Heatherington said.
In all, 17 firefighters from three stations responded to the call.
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