At about 10:40 p.m. on May 24, firefighters from the Innisfail Fire Department (IFD) responded to an apartment fire in a two-storey structure on 44th Avenue, a block away from Main Street, and at the back of the property owned by Fourlane Ford. The front of the building is the apartment suite while the back is used by Fourlane Ford as a parts storage facility.
Gary Leith, chief of the fire department, said when fire crews arrived with a rescue unit and two engines the structure’s first- and second-floor apartment was fully engulfed with flames. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control, preventing the blaze from spreading to the rest of the building, said Leith. The lone male occupant of the apartment was taken to Innisfail hospital, treated for smoke inhalation and released the following morning. No firefighters were injured during the incident.
Leith said firefighters remained at the scene for four hours. He said the apartment portion of the structure is a “writeoff” from the blaze with damage estimated to be between $150,000 and $200,000.
He said the cause of the blaze was a pot with cooking oil left unattended on a stove. Most noteworthy, said Leith, was that the apartment unit’s smoke alarm was not working.
Leith is advising local residents to make sure their smoke alarms are in proper working order and that they test them on a monthly basis.
“It is a safety reminder to the public to make sure their smoke alarms work because that would have let (the occupant) exit the building earlier and have the fire department arrive earlier, potentially having him not being injured and spending the night in the hospital,” said Leith. “Also leaving the pot unattended calls for more diligence when you are cooking and try not to be distracted as these things do happen.”
Leith said the investigation into the blaze is completed.
Meanwhile, Jeff Denham, owner of Fourlane Ford, praised the local fire department for its quick and efficient handling of the fire, which he added prevented the situation from having an even more devastating impact.
"The response time seemed instantaneous, and the effort and professionalism displayed was outstanding. The risks taken on by your selfless team was significant, yet they stepped forward without hesitation," said Denham. "Without the actions taken by your team, loss of property could have been drastically more significant and the potential loss of life very real."
