Multiple homes damaged in west-end house fire being investigated as part of extortion scam

Firefighters were called to a two-storey house under construction in west Edmonton Monday morning for a large fire that destroyed the structure and damaged 10 others.

The fire at 9805 225A St. was reported shortly after 4 a.m., according to Edmonton Fire Rescue Services.

The first crews were on scene in six minutes. Two more crews were called in for a total of seven.

Although firefighters had the blaze under control at 5:05 a.m., they were still working at the address as of 7:30 a.m.

By 5 p.m., the remains of the house had been torn down.

No injuries were reported, but EFRS says 10 other homes and two vehicles suffered damage such as melted siding or panels as a result of the fire.

Some of the damaged homes were as far away as across the street.

Melted siding on a home across the street from 9805 225A St. after a fire on Jan. 8, 2024. (Darcy Seaton/CTV News Edmonton)

Breana Melloy's home is one of the ones that was damaged.

She says she was shocked to see firefighters at the construction site across the street on Monday morning, but didn't realize her own home had been damaged until she watched the CTV News at Noon coverage of the fire.

"I was watching a video at lunch of the coverage and I saw an image of our house pop up, and saw that it had warped our siding. I called my husband and asked him to rush home, and I followed shortly after," she said.

"The safe space that is your home is all of a sudden invaded by something that is scary and you don't know who it is or what it is."

An Edmonton Police Service spokesperson confirmed investigators believe Monday's fire is the latest in a series of fires at houses that were under construction or newly built. In at least 18 cases, a large sum of money has been demanded of builders and fires have been set at properties of those who didn't pay.

Six people have been charged so far.

With files from CTV Edmonton's Cam Wiebe and Nicole Weisberg