Firefighters were called to a home in southeast Edmonton Friday morning, after fire broke out in a townhouse complex.
Witnesses told CTV News the fire started on the second floor of a unit in the 56-unit complex at about 11 a.m., and fire crews arrived on scene within ten minutes.
A number of people in the area who saw the fire started knocking on doors to make sure residents escaped – but many of the suites were empty, since the residents were at work.
However, a number of pets were still inside, and some Good Samaritans got to work making sure they were safe.
“We got a dog out of the bottom unit there, we got a cat out of there, and that far one we couldn’t, we kind of inhaled too much smoke,” Johnathan Thompson said.
One cat was found outside, it was taken to the vet – CTV News learned it was burned in the fire. That vet was able to stabilize the feline, and it was taken to another facility.
By early afternoon, firefighters had brought the blaze under control – but remained on the scene for several hours putting out hotspots.
Officials told CTV News that no one was injured in the fire, eight homes were damaged by fire – and it’s not clear when residents of up to twelve of the units in the complex will be allowed to go back home.
Investigators are working to determine how the fire started.
With files from Michel Boyer
