Police are calling a massive blaze that broke out inside a home in Chestermere, east of Calgary, on Thursday night arson until they have any indication it was otherwise.
The call came in at about 7:30 p.m. that a home on a rural property in the northeast section of the community was on fire.
Crews arrived at the home, located near Highway 1 and Paradise Road soon after, finding the structure fully engulfed in flames.
Three people, along with a dog and a cat, had all escaped the fire safely, but police had to detain one of the occupants, a man in his 40s, for his own safety.
“We have one person who we believe is involved somehow with the house, we’re not quite sure,” said Staff Sergeant Glenn Henry with the Chestermere RCMP. “He sustained some minor injuries, some burn injuries.”
The man was taken to hospital in Calgary for treatment, and Henry says he will remain in custody until fire investigators determine a cause of the fire. “We’ll determine what we’re going to do here. It’s an arson investigation and for now we’ve arrested him for his own safety.”
According to police, the home was an older structure that was slated for demolition pending future development of the area.
The ensuing blaze destroyed the structure and it will not be saved.
The Chestermere Fire Service remains on scene to monitor any flare-ups but say there is minimal risk to the surrounding area.
The investigation is still ongoing to determine the cause.
