The fire that destroyed three homes in Lacombe on Monday was ruled accidental by Lacombe Fire Department.
The fire started in the front-attached garage of the home at 4511 Henner’s Pointe. Heat and flames damaged the homes on either side, at 4509 and 4513 Henner’s Pointe.
What caused the fire has not been determined.
Lacombe fire chief Ed van Delden said some of the evidence collected at the scene requires additional testing and review by labs and professionals.
“Determining the cause of the fire requires a high degree of certainty with corroborating evidence and this process can take days,” van Delden said in a press release.
All three families — a total of six adults and seven children — in the homes escaped the early morning fire without injury.
Damage was estimated at about $3 million.
Van Delden said it was impossible to determine when the fire started, but the initial 911 call came in at 5:11 a.m. and the fire department was dispatched at 5:12 a.m. The first engine left the station at 5:21 a.m. and was on scene at 5:24 a.m.
Upon arrival, firefighters found 4511 Henner’s Pointe fully engulfed in flames.
The Clive, Blackfalds and Bentley fire departments also responded to the fire. At one time, there were 40 firefighters at the scene.
The fire was declared under control at 6:57.a.m.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com