'I have nothing': Resident of Whyte Avenue apartment starting over after fire that put his mother in ICU

A man whose mother is in ICU after an apartment fire on Friday says she could be on oxygen for the rest of her life.

The fire broke out at the Blue Ice Properties building at 10745 79 Ave. around 12:45 a.m. on Friday as police were attempting to carry out a court order against a man who had barricaded himself in his suite.

Daniel Oulds, who lived in the building with his two-year-old daughter, says he spoke to police before he went to bed that night.

"I seen cops all over the area for like four hours. I even went downstairs and asked them, 'Is this something serious any of the tenants shouldn't be worried about?' They said no," he told CTV News Edmonton on Monday.

Oulds says he was woken up by his 79-year-old mother shortly after he went to sleep.

"My mom woke me up and said, 'The building's on fire.' There were no sirens going off."

Oulds says he wrapped his daughter in his jacket and he and his mother raced through the smoke-filled hallway to safety.

"It was thick black smoke. I knew as soon as I breathed in it was gonna be bad," he said.

"We made it down the stairs and as soon as we got out the door all three of us fell on the ground because we just needed a breath of fresh air."

Water is sprayed on visible flames inside 10745 79 Ave. NW the early morning of Jan. 26, 2024. (CTV News Edmonton / Evan Klippenstein)

Oulds says he has been coughing up blood since the fire.

Despite some scary moments, his daughter is OK.

"When I was handing her to the paramedic, I didn't know if she was dead or not because of what I was breathing in."

"She's actually the best shape of all three of us."

His mother is in the ICU.

"She has tubes that are remote breathing for her. They had to put vacuums down her throat and suck everything out. She could be on an oxygen tank for the rest of her life over what happened."

Smoke rises from 10745 79 Ave. NW in Edmonton on Jan. 26, 2024, after a fire that started while police were carrying out a court order. (CTV News Edmonton / Cam Wiebe)

As he worries about his mother, he's facing the prospect of rebuilding his life from scratch.

"I have nothing. Everything burned up in my apartment."

"My daughter's mom's ashes were up there. And my dead father's necklace, rings."

"I don't have a phone. My phone's gone. There's no way anybody can get a hold of me right now. I'm trying to get my ID and birth certificate."

He's now staying with his sister and a GoFundMe page has been set up for him.

The Edmonton Police Service says the fire started in the suite of the man they were dealing with.

They began negotiations with the man around 5 p.m., almost eight hours before the fire broke out.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services has confirmed the fire was deliberately set.

Jason Zabos, 44, has been charged with arson with disregard for human life, mischief, obstructing a peace officer and breach of a court order. He was released on a Release Order by a Justice of the Peace.

A firefighter stands in front of a burned suite at 10745 79 Ave. NW in Edmonton on Jan. 26, 2024. A fire started earlier that morning during a standoff between police and a suspect. (CTV News Edmonton / Nav Sangha)

Oulds says the news is a devastating blow.

"I was so upset. I couldn't believe that it happened. It made me more upset because I knew that the cops were there for hours prior to this."

"I don't want to live in an apartment ever again. I don't want to live in anything that's attached to another person."

The manager of the apartment says residents will receive their damage deposits back by the end of the week.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti