Senior dies after jumping from balcony of burning apartment

Some residents of a north Edmonton apartment building were unaccounted for Tuesday morning after an evening fire killed one person and injured multiple others.

Some residents of a north Edmonton apartment building were unaccounted for Tuesday morning after an evening fire killed one person and injured multiple others. The fire at 132 Avenue and 82 Street was triggered by a crash, according to authorities: a vehicle left the road and hit a building and gas line, causing an explosion around 9:20 p.m. Monday. Multiple people needed rescuing from the three-storey complex.

An 85-year-old man who jumped from a balcony was treated on scene by EMS but died at the scene. Officials initially said five people were taken to hospital. By mid-day Tuesday that number had been upgraded to six.

Two residents from the building remained unaccounted for as of 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday. “Our partners at Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) continue to actively fight the fire at this time. As a result, police are still working to locate and identify residents of the building who are unaccounted for,” an Edmonton Police Service spokesperson said at 9:30 a.m.

The 62-year-old man driving the vehicle was also hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Robbie Peppin lives across the street from the building.

He said he heard the explosion and ran outside. “Within seconds, you could see the fire,” he told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday. “There was people jumping from the balcony, and it was just chaotic.”

He describes the neighbourhood as a tight-knit community, and says he’s sad to hear someone died in the fire. “It’s pretty shocking, and it’s sad. It’s a sad situation.”

Emergency response Tuesday morning, 82 Street remained closed between 131 and 133 Avenues. At one point during the height of the firefight, there were 11 firetrucks and 10 ambulances at the scene. Smoke could be seen pouring from multiple units as crews sprayed water on the building.

Atco said gas was shut off to 1,700 customers in the Glengarry, Killarney, and Balwin areas while emergency crews respond to the fire, adding it would remain off until it was safe for emergency crews to restore service safely. It is believed 35 people lived in the 16-suite building. There were also four business suites on the ground floor of the building.

Twenty-one residents are currently receiving support from the Red Cross. Other residents were reportedly not in the building at the time but have been accounted for by police.