Firefighters and RCMP in Penhold are still at the site of a devastating fire that destroyed an apartment building early Thursday evening and left a score of residents homeless and some still unaccounted for.
Jim Pendergast, the town's fire chief, said firefighters at the site are still battling small blazes underneath the ruins of Wild Rose Manor in their desperate attempts to determine if any residents were unable to escape Thursday's inferno.
“I am with the RCMP and they still have not have accounted for everybody but we are still not able to get in there. We have not got the fire under control yet,” said Pendergast, adding fire officials do not know the number of residents that are unaccounted for.
“The building collapsed onto the main floor,” added Pendergast of the fire scene. “The fire is still burning underneath the floor. We are still trying to get underneath that but it is still too unstable to walk on now.”
The fire on April 10 started shortly before 5:45 p.m. on April 10. The blaze spread quickly throughout the building as firefighters raced to the scene in a vain attempt to put it under control. The three-story 18-unit building collapsed within an hour. Residents who were able to flee the building were taken to the Penhold Memorial Hall, which was set up as an evacuation centre. Scores of Penhold residents brought food, blankets and mattresses. At least two people were taken to hospital with undetermined injuries from the fire.
Meanwhile, Pendergast said it is still too early to determine the cause of the blaze, which is suspected to have been preceded by an explosion somewhere in the building.
“Because it is still not under control it is too hot there to start that stuff. The RCMP is starting their investigation and a provincial investigator will be here this afternoon,” said Pendergast, adding it's still too early in the probe to determine if foul play played a part in the start of the fire.
While police and fire investigators continue their probe Friday (April 11) Highway 2A is still blocked off and closed to traffic.
Pendergast said it is likely the highway will be closed to traffic for at least all day Friday.
