TWO BUSINESSES DESTROYED
Fire ravages strip mall
Heavy equipment was being moved in to tear down parts of a strip mall in the area of Stony Plain Road and 154 Street after an early morning blaze Monday.
Two businesses — the Moon Palace Restaurant and the Anatolia Food Market — were destroyed in the fire that was first reported just after 6 a.m.
Edmonton fire rescue officials said motorists would be redirected away from Stony Plain Road between 149 Street and 155 Street for much of Monday.
Fire crews arrived at 6:08 a.m. and the blaze was considered under control at 2:32 p.m., fire spokeswoman Maya Filipovic said.
At its peak, there were 12 crews on scene.
“We determined that the building was not safe to enter, so we’ve kind of taken on a defensive attack of this fire,” said Edmonton fire district Chief Randy Shakura.
“The challenge is, when you can’t go into a building, you have to take a different strategy and approach it from the outside of the fire.”
Shakura said heavy winds blew the thick, black smoke eastward, and people were asked to stay away.
“The smoke is really not good for people,” said Shakura. “It really complicates things when bystanders are coming into the smoky areas.”
Fire crews told some residents near the strip mall to stay indoors, but no one was asked to evacuate, said Shakura.