Officials in the County of Lacombe said the investigation into what started a fire that destroyed three homes Tuesday is ongoing, but officials believe it may have been an accident.
A statement released by Lacombe Fire Department Chief Ed van Delden Friday said evidence collected in the investigation into the July 29 fire needed additional testing and review, a process van Delden said can take days.
“The properties have been released to the owners. Investigators are confident that the fire was accidental.”
The statement went on to detail how the fire started in the garage of one of the homes, and the damage done to the other two homes was from heat and flame exposure from the initial fire.
Firefighters were called to the home at Henners Pointe in Lacombe just after 5 a.m., the fire was declared under control just before 7 a.m. and the fire was out and crews were clear of the scene at about 4:30 p.m. that day.
An early damage estimate was pegged at $1.8 million.
