A family is left homeless after a blaze tore through its multi-million dollar home in Red Deer County on Wednesday night.
Neighbour Mark Stevens, who lives across the street from the house, was returning home for the evening when he noticed a glow through the woods and unusual activity at his neighbour’s gate, which is typically closed.
Stevens said he saw a vehicle drive away before he went inside his house.
“It wasn’t 10 minutes later I looked out the kitchen window and it was just one big ball of flames from one end of the other instantly,” said Stevens. “It wasn’t like it started in one end and worked its way through. It really looked suspicious.”
Fire crews responded to a call at the house on Township Road 390 and Range Road 270, northeast of the River Bend Golf and Recreation Area around 10 p.m.
The house was fully engulfed in fire, said Ric Henderson, Director of Community and Protective Services.
The crews battled the fire overnight and were putting out hot spots on Thursday morning. There was no one home at the time of the fire. No other buildings were in jeopardy.
Stevens said a family of three lived in the house for about a year. He said there was work being done on the house.
The estimated 25,000 square-foot house was recently listed on Kijiji for $7.7 million.
Henderson said it was too early to say whether the fire is being treated as suspicious. The fire is under investigation.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com