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Updated: Fire crews put out house fire in north Red Deer

A young couple and their baby are safe after a fire damaged their home Wednesday afternoon

A home that a young couple had just moved into days ago was damaged in a fire on Wednesday afternoon.

Cory Gray arrived home with his 18-month-old daughter on Wednesday shortly after 1 p.m. when he was confronted with a wall of smoke as he opened the door at his house at 59th Avenue and 71st Street.

“I threw my baby in my lap in my Jeep and reversed and called 911,” said Gray, whose wife Stefanie Couture also soon arrived.

All three, and the family cat, are safe.

Gray said Red Deer Emergency Services arrived within minutes and soon extinguished the fire, which appears to have started in the basement. Gray said he has no idea what may have caused the blaze.

Caleb Rosenthal was nearby when he saw smoke pouring out of the home.

“There was quite a bit of smoke. It was dark smoke,” he said. “It was under control very quickly.”

Rosenthal and a friend comforted the homeowners as they waited outside.

Platoon Chief Gary Engebretson said the fire call came in at 1:08 p.m.

“Our trucks arrived on the scene shortly after that and we had the fire knocked down at 13:21 (1:21 p.m.),” said Engebretson. Fire-medics searched the home and confirmed there was no one inside by 1:25 p.m.

“(The fire) appeared to start down in the basement. They had just moved in and had all of their stuff stored in the basement.”

Three engine companies, a ladder company, ambulance and command vehicle responded.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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Photo by PAUL COWLEY/Advocate staff Firefighters on scene at a Red Deer house fire at 59 Avenue and 71 Street.
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Photo by PAUL COWLEY/Advocate staff Firefighters on scene at a Red Deer house fire at 59 Avenue and 71 Street.
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Cory Gray (in blue) personally thanked the fire-medics who put out a fire in his north Red Deer home on Wednesday afternoon.
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Photo by PAUL COWLEY/Advocate staff Firefighters on scene at a Red Deer house fire at 59 Avenue and 71 Street. Firefighters on scene at a Red Deer house fire at 59 Avenue and 71 Street. (Photo by PAUL COWLEY/Advocate staff)