A Saturday-morning fire southeast of Clyde that destroyed a loft that housed seven antique cars is under investigation.
No one was hurt in the March 30 blaze that also destroyed a number of ATVs and claimed the life of a pet dog.
A homeowner near the Clyde sandhills woke up to the sound of hissing coming from his loft around 11 a.m. He opened the garage door and discovered dark clouds of smoke — which could be seen from Westlock — billowing inside when he opened the garage door and he quickly shut it. He woke up his roommate and exited the building before reporting the fire.
Westlock County Fire Service crews arrived on scene within 20 minutes after driving through slushy roads and discovered the homeowner was facing a “total loss,” said county fire chief John Biro.
“By the time we got on scene, it was pretty well burnt out,” Biro said Saturday night. “The roof and walls were down and it was basically tin. Tin roof. Tin walls. Finished inside.”
Although the blaze was likely caused by natural gas, said Biro, the investigation continues with help from AltaGas.
“The fire spread very fast,” the chief added.
“They said by the time they got out of the (loft), it was already coming through the upper levels, like the roof.”
Crews spent roughly five hours on scene muting hot spots and sifting through the wreckage. However, Biro was unsure whether the owner would be covered by insurance.
“It will probably be a while,” Biro said, alluding to the coverage and cost of damage.
