A Benalto-area man lost his home and belongings in an early morning house fire Thursday.
The 22-year-old occupant was alerted by a smoke detector and escaped safely with his dog, said Allan Weiss, fire services manager with Red Deer County. Another occupant was not at home at the time of the 3 a.m. blaze about five km southeast of Benalto.
Volunteer firefighters from Sylvan Lake, Eckville and the county responded to the blaze, which was quickly brought under control.
“By 6 a.m. in the morning, it was more or less, out.”
However, the 1950s home and contents are a complete write-off due to fire, smoke and water damage. A damage estimate was not available.
The fire, which appears to have started in the attic, is not considered suspicious, but the cause remains under investigation.
Fire investigators were on the scene early Thursday morning sifting through the debris.