A fire at the Strathcona Hotel on Friday was caused by construction work, according to Edmonton Fire Rescue Services.
A spokesperson for EFRS says a contractor found smoke and smoldering insulation around 10:30 a.m. on Friday after sparks from an electric grinder ignited insulation in the hotel’s attic. He used an extinguisher to put out the sparks, and thought the situation was under control.
Nearly 11 hours later, a resident at a nearby apartment called 911 after seeing smoke coming from the roof of the hotel.
Fire crews arrived at the scene at 9:26 p.m. and it took four and a half hours to bring the blaze under control.
The building, which was constructed on Whyte Avenue in the 1890’s, was recently sold to Beljan Development, who is converting the building into retail and restaurant space.
"While we are unsure of the extent of damage to the building, we remain committed to restoring this historic Edmonton landmark to the high standards that we set out to achieve," a statement released by Beljan on Saturday said.
"We will work with all stakeholders to retain as much of the building as possible in order to ensure it remains a fixture in one of Edmonton’s premier historic neighbourhoods."
A damage estimate has not been released.
