Red Deer firefighters knock down structure fires

Red Deer firefighters knock down structure fires

Published 11:36 am Monday, September 21, 2026

Red Deer firefighters were called out to three recent structure fires, including a house fire caused by a lithium-ion battery that malfunctioned while being charged.

Matt White, deputy fire chief with Red Deer Emergency Services, said crews were called to a bungalow on Wigmore Close on Sept. 17, at about 7 p.m., where they quickly knocked down the battery fire that started in the living area on the main floor.

“It will require extensive repairs to be inhabited again,” White said.

“There was extensive damage to the interior of the home, but nothing affected the structure or exterior of the home.”

Four occupants in the home made it outside safely before crews arrived, but one adult male suffered smoke inhalation and was transported to hospital in stable condition.

White said Red Deer Emergency Services has seen an increase in lithium-ion battery fires in the last couple of years. When a battery malfunctions, it releases a lot of heat and a lot of flame in a very short period of time and can spread quickly.

“We would encourage the public when they are charging lithium-ion batteries to use the charger that came with the batteries. Make sure that the charger and the battery are both in good condition prior to charging. And charge it away from combustible materials, and supervise the battery while it’s being charged.”

Crews were also called out on Sept. 18, just before 7:30 a.m., to a fire inside a second-story unit at the former Amethyst House, which was closed down due to health and safety concerns in July.

White said the fire was confined to the one unit and quickly extinguished. The building was searched, and cause of the fire was still under investigation.

“When the fire department arrived, there were no occupants inside the building, and no one presented to the fire department as having been inside the building prior to the fire,” White said.

For five and a half years, the former motel was used as a permanent supportive housing program.

On Sept. 20, fire crews were called out at about 3:45 a.m. to Ireland Crescent, where two detached garages, in close proximity to each other, were on fire.

“Because of the time of day, it took some time for residents to detect the fire and report it to the fire department so by the time (dispatchers) had received the first 911 call, both of those garages were fully involved.”

White said the exterior siding on a number of houses was damaged, but firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to the homes.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.