The house fire in Sunnybrook that displaced four people on Tuesday started because of unattended cooking, Red Deer Emergency Services has determined.
An estimated $20,000 in damage occurred at the home at 9 Spencer St.
A man, 34, and a woman, 32, safely made their way out of the house. But the man did first try and extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. He suffered minor injuries.
The smoke alarm was not working at the time because the battery was removed days earlier when they had been chirping, signalling a low battery.
The family did not have insurance.
“Considering this was an unattended cooking incident and there was a dysfunctional smoke alarm, this house fire could have been much more devastating,” said fire prevention officer Tim Kivell.
Working smoke detectors cut the risk of death in a house fire by half.
The Canadian Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team is now assisting the four residents of the home, including two children.
They are providing emergency food and accommodation to the family. The assistance is provided at no charge to those in need, and is provided for 72 hours as needed to those affected by personal disaster.