A devastating fire just east of Cardston has destroyed the Blood Tribe Adolescent Treatment Center, with just part of a portable classroom unit left standing.
Officials say a staff member noticed smoke coming through floor vents in the facility yesterday around 1 p.m. Cardston emergency services were first on the scene, followed by Blood Tribe officials. They say there was no way to save the structure, by the time officials arrived on scene it was completely engulfed in flames.
Fortunately no one was injured as a result of the fire, five staff and seven adolescent clients were safely evacuated but the site remains a concern.This afternoon flames sparked up again as a result of windy conditions and several hot spots among the rubble. Emergency crews were called back to the scene to douse the charred area yet again as a precaution.
The cause of the blaze is still unknown and a provincial fire inspector is working to determine just what sparked the fire but says preliminary findings have indicated the cause is not criminal in nature.
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