Fire rips through apartment building east of downtown Edmonton: ‘It just went fast’

Residents of a four-storey apartment building east of downtown Edmonton were forced from their homes by fire late Monday afternoon.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services crews were called to 10368 92 St. in the Boyle Street neighbourhood at 4:14 p.m. and arrived on scene three minutes later to find smoke and flames shooting from a unit about halfway up the building.

“It started on the third floor, but it just rapidly went through the whole building,” said Claudia Troncoso, who said she lives on the second floor right under where the fire began.

“I was watching TV and it just heard the alarm go off, and it was just ‘pop, pop, pop,'” she said.

“The fire department just came in there and they attacked it really fast but it just went fast.”

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Video provided to Global News (above) showed flames shooting out of the balcony of a third-floor unit as firetrucks rolled onto the scene.

District Chief Ron Paradis said there eight suites were affected and it was a two-alarm response that included four pump firetrucks and a few ladder trucks.

“A lot of fire damage and heavy smoke damage as well as water,” Paradis said.

Paradis said the entire building was evacuated and all residents were told they had to find another place to stay Monday night.

After the fire, the entire side of the building was charred and damage could be seen from the ground to the top floor.

Troncoso thinks a pet cat was left behind. She was able to get out with her pet and some documentation but isn’t sure what else in her home survived the fire.

“Just got my papers and my I.D., and it’s all I could get — and my dog.”

Paradis said two patients were assessed on scene by EMS but not transported. The cause of the fire and extent of the damage is not yet known.