PENHOLD - A suspicious fire destroyed an abandoned mobile home in Penhold Saturday night.
Both the Penhold Fire Department and Innisfail RCMP have launched an investigation into the incident.
Penhold fire crews along with Innisfail EMS, fire and RCMP arrived on scene shortly after 8 p.m. at the Penhold Estates trailer court on Feb. 4.
"There was a large column of smoke visible from several kilometres away and when we arrived on scene there were flames coming from the west window," said Jim Pendergast, Penhold fire chief.
Fire crews battled the blaze from the outside before they could gain entry to search for a reported missing person.
"We didn't find any persons inside. When we arrived there were two people outside that told us there was still one person (missing), they didn't know where they were and that there were propane tanks inside," said Pendergast.
"There was no power or gas to the building, so how would the fire start? We never did find any propane tanks."
Innisfail RCMP Staff Sgt. Chris Matechuk said the matter is under investigation and no comments can be made at this time.
It was reported that RCMP were in the trailer park the day prior to the fire.
"There was a fire and our members in Innisfail and Penhold attended," said Matechuk, adding he declined to confirm if RCMP were in the area prior to the fire.
"We're in the trailer court quite often," he added. "That's not uncommon (to have squatters) if the property's abandoned, but unfortunately I can't comment on it."
Pendergast said the trailer, which is believed to be more than 40 years old, is a writeoff because of the blaze and will be removed from the park this week.
"We've asked the management company for the property to remove the building because it's now a hazard," said Pendergast.
Both mobile homes on either side of the fire were saved, as were several vehicles in close proximity to the trailer.
The occupants of trailers on both sides of the unit on fire were evacuated for about two hours before being allowed to return to their homes. Penhold fire crews checked to make sure the smoke, CO and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) levels were acceptable, said Pendergast.
"Under extreme cold conditions, you get a fire in a trailer park and it's very often that it's going to spread to the neighbouring trailers and we prevented that from happening," said Pendergast. "That was our first priority."
"There were vehicles parked within three or four metres of the trailer and we made sure they weren't damaged either."
Jim Pendergast, chief of the Penhold Fire Department
"We've asked the management company for the property to remove the building because it's now a hazard."
