PENHOLD - Firefighters were called out to a local residence late last week to battle a potentially dangerous basement fire.
“The firefighters did an outstanding job. We know that basement fires are very dangerous as there is only one way in and it acts like a chimney," said Jim Pendergast, chief of the Penhold Fire Department. Pendergast said that the homeowner had left for about 15 minutes and came back to find smoke coming from his house and called 911.
Penhold fire crews were called at about 3 p.m. on Sept. 21 to a structure fire on Bouteiller Close. First arriving crews found smoke coming from a single-family home.
“We initiated an aggressive interior fire attack and crews had the fire under control very quickly," said acting fire Lieut. Quinlan Parson. Parson went on to say that the fire was in the basement near the furnace and water heater.
Pendergast said there were no injuries and damage is estimated at $30,000. He said the response team included five fire units and 15 firefighters, along with EMS, peace officers, and personnel from public works, ATCO Gas and FortisAlberta. The fire remains under investigation.
