A number of people have been left homeless after separate fires in Central Alberta destroyed two homes on Sunday.
The first fire occurred at about 4:30 a.m. in Sylvan Lake at 4 Falcon Close.
Sylvan fire chief Cliff Brausen said on Monday that no one was hurt in the fire, although one person next door was transported to hospital.
Three children and five adults, some whom may have been guests, were in the home at the time of the fire. While there were working smoke detectors in the home, the occupants were actually awakened by popping noises outside, said Brausen.
The fire chief and deputy fire chief were among the first to arrive, and at that time the flames were “25 to 30 feet in the air,” he said.
Firefighters were at the home in under 10 minutes, the chief said.
Brausen is confident that the fire started on the exterior of the house in the rear deck area and it is not suspicious.
Part of the roof and most of the back of the house was destroyed by the fire. The house was about 12 years old. The occupants are receiving assistance from Red Cross and Victim Services.
The home immediately east of the main fire also suffered some exterior damage.
In the second fire, the Rimbey Fire and Rescue Department was called to an acreage about 1.6 km northeast of the town at about 3:15 p.m. on Sunday.
Fire chief John Weisberger said the older double-wide home was extensively damaged from smoke and heat. One person suffered minor burns.
“We’re still looking at it but it looks like a candle was involved,” he said.
He was not certain of the number of people affected by the fire, but said the occupants of the home are now staying in a local hotel.
The fire occurred on Range Road 22, off Township Road 424.
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