118 Avenue open again after fire response

A fire broke out at a strip mall at 118 Avenue and 150 Street in the early morning of Dec. 15, 2021.

Firefighters were called to a strip mall in northwest Edmonton early Wednesday morning.

The blaze at 118 Avenue and 150 Street was reported shortly after 5 a.m. by a passing driver who saw smoke, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services told CTV News Edmonton. 

Arriving on scene a few minutes later and finding flames, crews upgraded the blaze to a second-alarm fire and called for extra trucks. 

While smoke coming from the roof and second floor was visible, flames were not from the outside when CTV News Edmonton arrived on scene.

Firefighters declared the fire under control at 5:39 a.m., but remained on scene after 8 a.m. to put out hot spots. 

It's not known in which business the fire started. The mall houses several restaurants and a massage parlour.

Officials closed 118 Avenue to traffic for two blocks between 149 and 151 Streets until after 7:30 a.m. EFRS asked for the area to be sanded because it had iced over during the firefight. 

EPCOR was also called to turn off water to the building as a pipe burst on the second floor.