Investigators say a motorized scooter may have triggered a fire in a single apartment building downtown Red Deer.
The fire broke out at 5020 50 Ave. in an apartment above a business Thursday afternoon and was put out quickly by fire crews.
“It was quite a lot of damage in that area and could have been a lot worse. We’re very thankful everyone got out,” said Brad Legere, fire safety codes officer with the City of Red Deer.
“We had some heroes at the tattoo parlor, they saved the tenant’s dog.”
Legere said crews responded to heavy smoke showing from the west side of the building and they were on scene for about four to five hours Thursday, extinguishing the remains of the blaze.
He said at the back entrance of a single apartment unit with one tenant, they found an electric scooter that may have been the cause of the fire.
“We found there was possibly a motorized scooter or a moped in the area of origin. Within that area, there was nothing else noted, nothing suspicious. The area was locked and secured previous to the fire occurring,” he said.
Legere added that it’s important for people to check extension cords before use and be familiar with what outlets are being used to charge devices.
“There are some key things to keep in mind, The importance of using extension cords, of knowing the draw on the power on appliances to charge things like scooters and mopeds and more electric stuff we use,” he said.