Leduc RCMP said officers and firefighters were on the scene of a fire that eventually damaged four homes in Calmar Wednesday morning.
RCMP said officers were called to the fire at about 5 a.m., along with the Calmar Fire Department and Leduc County Fire Department, to reports of a fire at a home under construction.
When crews arrived, the fire had reached four homes – destroying three of them.
It appears there were actually two separate fires, and early indications are that it was likely arson.
Neighbours reported hearing two explosions before the fire, and a vehicle left the area a short time later, and that someone may have fled on foot.
“I wouldn’t be able to say what the cause is,” Leduc Fire Marshall Brad Gurmin said. “There’s a good chance that arson is involved or someone is involved here.”
Officials said the two homes that initially caught fire were recently built – by the same builder – but are up for sale by two different owners who are out of the country.
“Both from the same home builder, two different owners, and both owners are out of the country right now,” Gurmin said.
Police said the other two homes were occupied, and everyone was evacuated safely, no one was injured.
One of the residents is Justin MacKinnon, an Edmonton firefighter.
“I just woke up to someone banging on the door and ringing the doorbell saying the house next door is on fire, so we had to evacuate, tried to save our house as best we could but it was too far gone,” MacKinnon said.
Gurmin said the preliminary damage estimate for the buildings is about $1.2 million.
Police, along with local and provincial fire investigators, are investigating the matter.
With files from David Ewasuk
