Residents of Willow Place in downtown Grande Prairie had to leave their homes Saturday night. A fire broke out in one of the suites, and the building was evacuated.
The Grande Prairie Fire Department was called just after 6:25 p.m. Platoon Chief Tony Lutzmann says the blaze was contained to one unit but there was extensive smoke throughout the building.
It is part of the fire department’s protocol to have a Grande Prairie Transit bus on hand for displaced residents to keep warm. One was there while firefighters aired out the smoke. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, but Lutzmann says it looks to be cooking-related. The fire was controlled by sprinklers inside the building, and firefighters double-checked it was extinguished.
Willow Place on 100 Avenue is run by the Canadian Mental Health Association. It has 57 units for people with mental health conditions to live independently in bachelor suite apartments.