2 people in ‘critical’ condition after northeast Edmonton apartment fire – Edmonton

Three firefighters were treated by paramedics after a fire at an apartment in northeast Edmonton on Saturday night.

Fire crews were called to the scene at Hermitage Road and Huffman Crescent just after 8pm, where they were greeted by a thick cloud of smoke.

When firefighters arrived on scene, orange flames could be seen through the haze on the roof, and Edmonton Fire Rescue said 15 units were on scene at one point.

“The flames were pretty high, probably about 10 feet off the roof,” said Savannah Brown, who lives near the apartment and witnessed the fire.

“Just as we were trying to get the fire under control, flames started to shoot up under the balcony next door and we had a feeling the apartment was going to go up in flames.”

The Edmonton Fire Department said the blaze was deemed out just before midnight. Brown said he saw paramedics load one person into an ambulance.

“We were standing here and someone was brought in in an ambulance who had been quite injured by the flames and had burns all over his body,” she said.

One adult and one senior were taken to hospital in serious condition, Alberta Health Services spokesperson Christine Harris said in a statement to Global News.

She said three adults were taken to hospital in stable condition.

It was confirmed Sunday morning that fire investigators had been at the apartment building for several hours.

The extensive damage to the building was visible from the road, with much of the roof missing and many of the balconies charred.

Edmonton fire officials said they expect it will take some time to assess the damage and determine the exact cause of the fire.

Before that, many apartments were considered habitable.

“It’s really sad to see people lose their homes,” Brown said.

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