Edson car dealerships hit by fire three weeks apart
Edson and area fire crews battled a second car dealership blaze in the town in a month Monday as RCMP announced a pair of earlier fires in the community were arson.
The blaze at Edson Honda broke out around 5 a.m. Monday with Yellowhead County and Edson firefighters responding.
By 7:30 a.m., about 22 firefighters were on scene alongside three fire engines, one aerial unit and a rescue truck. Command vehicles, a support unit, EMS and RCMP also responded.
Edson fire spokesman Steve Bethge said the fire was contained by around 10:30 a.m. but it was still burning. The cause of the fire is not known.
“The showroom is mostly smoke and water damage. The fire itself is mostly contained to the parts and service area but much of the structure is all smoke and water damaged. We haven’t been able to get fully inside yet to get the full extent, but that’s the initial,” said Bethge.
The Honda dealership blaze is the second fire at an Edson car dealership this month.
On Monday RCMP Cpl. Ron Bumbry confirmed to Postmedia that a fire on Dec. 9 at the town’s Chrysler dealership was deemed arson and it was connected to the arson of a pickup truck found on fire that same morning.
Estimated damages at the Honda and Chrysler dealerships are $1 million each.
“I can confirm that the other two fires were deemed arson and we believe those two are linked,” said Bumbry.
“All three fires remain under investigation. No charges have been laid and we continue to investigate those previous two and obviously this new one.”
Bumbry said the two connected fires have not been linked to the Monday Honda dealership fire at this time.
The town’s Chrysler dealership’s front office and showroom were destroyed by the Dec. 9 fire, while 60 to 80 per cent of the mechanical bay was destroyed. Bethge said 29 firefighters responded to that fire.
The investigation into the Chrysler fire is ongoing.
The same morning as the Dec. 9 Edson fire, RCMP responded to a call of a vehicle fire in the area of 41 Street and 51 Avenue.
Terina Irwin, an Edson resident, said she was awakened by someone banging on her door at 4:30 a.m. telling her there was a fire on a walking trail behind her house.
“It was only a few feet from the trees and we could see the branches blowing around from the heat,” said Irwin.
Irwin said a towing company winched the vehicle out at 10 a.m. Dec. 9.
Photos show a silver pickup truck with the hood and passenger compartment completely burnt down to the tires.
Mayor Kevin Zahara said the fires come as a shock to the community that is used to having one major structural fire a year.
“Obviously there’s a lot of concern when a business catches fire and especially with these two events so close together around the holiday season,” said Zahara.
“We’re very concerned about how this affects employees and the community as a whole.”
Management of Edson Honda could not be reached before press time.
Their website shows at least eight people work at the dealership.
Zahara said the similar blazes have raised speculation around the community.
“There’s a lot of speculation and concern and I know that the other dealerships in town have concerns about this but we’ll have to wait and see what the investigators come up with in terms of their investigation,” said Zahara.
“We just need to make sure that we’re diligent and if anyone does have information, we certainly encourage them to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.”
Zahara thanked first responders for their work on both fires.
Edson is approximately 200 kilometres west of Edmonton.