By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter with files from Lara Fominoff - @fomsy1

North side apartment building badly damaged in fire

Aug 31, 2017 | 3:33 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Emergency crews are cleaning up, after a significant fire consumed part of Winston Villa Apartments Thursday afternoon (Aug. 31).

Fire officials say they received a 911 call around noon, and arrived at the structure along 13 Street North a short time later, to find part of the building engulfed in flames.

“With the wind driven fire here today, it spread quite rapidly on the outside of the building,” said Greg Adair, deputy chief of operations for Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services. “It did get inside the building a little bit, but not extensively… we are very fortunate.”

The other good news from Adair, is that only one resident was injured due to smoke inhalation. They were taken to the hospital for assessment, however, the injury is considered non-life threatening. He also noted that several pets were retrieved from the building, and that he was not aware of any pets that didn’t make it out.

As far as determining a cause, Adair says fire investigators will begin the process of sifting through the rubble, but that it’s too early to say what started the blaze.

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Adair also commented on what will come next for Winston Villa residents.

“I believe there was about 20 units in that complex,” he explained. “They’re all out safely at this time. We’re working with Red Cross to ensure that the individuals who cannot get back into their suites will have accommodations and be taken care of. And the rest of them, we’ll look to see if we can get them back later tonight or tomorrow.”

Winston Villa residents recount the scene

Two of the residents who were inside the apartment building at the time were Laurie and Wes, a couple who had just moved to Lethbridge from Ontario two months ago.

They were in their second-floor unit when they first realized what was happening.

“I smelled something, and I knew to check the air conditioner,” Laurie told Lethbridge News Now. “I smelled smoke, I saw smoke. And by the time I ripped the air conditioner vent out of the doorwall [patio door], cause we had it taped in, I realized it wasn’t on the balcony. [Wes] said ‘it’s below us,’ and by the time I shut the doorwall, the flames were already halfway up our doorwall and our balcony was on fire.

“We just moved here from Ontario and we lost everything. Everything’s gone. Everything except our cat and my husband. I have nothing else,” Laurie continued.

“I’m just glad we were home, cause I would be devastated if my cat was in there. I would just be dead. He’s my baby.”

Video courtesy of Christel Francis