Cypress County fire crews worked to put out a house fire on Range Road 55 Saturday(Tiffany Goodwein/ CHAT NEWS Today)

By Tiffany Goodwein

started in garage

Home ‘a total loss’ after weekend fire

Aug 10, 2020 | 12:26 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- A homeowner reportedly away on vacation is without a home after it caught fire Saturday afternoon.

Cypress County Fire Chief Kelly Meyer confirms the home on Range Road 55 is a total loss following Saturday’s blaze.

“From the information that was provided to me, that it was a total loss. The cause of the fire has been undetermined at this time and more than likely the Office of the Fire Commissioner or the insurance company will be sending investigators to find the cause for that, but it was a total loss,” Meyer said.

Large plumes of smoke could be seen from the property at around 2p.m. Saturday.

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No one was home at the time of the blaze.

Meyers said the fire is believed to have started in an attached garage unit which later spread to the house.

A nearby mechanic’s shop on the property was not affected by the blaze, according to Meyer.

Crews battled winds as they attempted to suppress the blaze and water had to be trucked in from nearby colonies and contractors to help put the structure fire out.

“Living in the municipality we have a very limited water supply, pressurized water supply or static water supply, so we really rely on farmers, ranchers, the use of our tender to provide water to us on scene, and at the end of the day with a wind-driven fire even having a pressurized water supply it still would have been challenging,” Meyer said.

Meyer was unable to confirm how many people were displaced from the fire.

The Dunmore Fire station, Seven Persons Fire Station, and the Medicine Hat Fire Service attended the blaze.