A Chestermere-area family is homeless after an early morning blaze burned their house to the ground, Oct. 14.
The blaze began around 4:27 a.m. and fire crews were on scene within about 10 minutes at the two-storey single-family home about four kilometres south of the Trans-Canada Highway on Range Road 275.
Two parents and two children escaped to safety and were later transported to hospital for smoke inhalation. As of press time, a third child was reported missing and presumed dead.
Rocky View County Fire Chief Ken McMullen said once hot spots are put out, a recovery effort will begin for the body of the missing child.
“We’re going to have to excavate the house itself very carefully during the investigation in order to recover the individual,” said Rocky View County Fire Chief McMullen.
The blaze lasted about four hours before being fully contained. Initially, fire crews took an offensive stance, but that quickly changed. The strong flames and an unstable roof barred firefighters from entering the home.
McMullen said it will be “quite difficult to find a definitive cause” and doesn’t expect answers for at least a few days.
Rocky View Fire Services dispatched six trucks to the scene and 19 firefighters.
ATCO Gas was also on scene as a standard procedure to make sure no gas lines in the area were affected.
