A suspicious fire that reduced an Okotoks-area home to its concrete foundation has the owner anxious for other families in the area.
“If there’s a guy out there starting a fire in a home, that’s something everybody has to be concerned about,” said Antony Colonna, who has co-owned the home along with another family for 21 years. “I just don’t want to see it happen to anybody else who actually lives in a home with children.”
Sgt. Ian Shardlow of Okotoks RCMP said police consider the fire as “suspicious in nature.” Okotoks RCMP were alerted to the fire at about 1:30 a.m. on April 25 when it was spotted by the Calgary Police Service HAWKS helicopter.
“We’re not saying it was arson by any means, but it’s just suspicious,” said Shardlow. “The house was almost completely consumed by the fire, so it makes firm forensics somewhat difficult.”
When the RCMP and Okotoks Fire Department arrived at the home, they found the flames had spread to the surrounding bush area. No residents were inside the home at the time, but the house was completely destroyed.
After finding beverage containers from his fridge outside the home, Colonna said he has a suspicion the fire was started by somebody after they had broken into the home. A car was also seen leaving the scene, said Colonna.
“Someone helped themselves to a few beverages, and when we got there we noticed that some of the containers were outside and had been drank,” he explained.
Shardlow confirmed there was evidence found outside the residence, but said it was too soon in the investigation to say whether it is related to the fire.
Colonna, who is from Calgary and only spends a couple of nights a week in the home, said he has seen a lot of youth partying down by the river. While he didn’t notice anyone that particular evening, he said it has been an ongoing problem.
“It was really bad last summer,” said Colonna. “The house is right on the river and they come down to party, and make a mess. We’re constantly cleaning up garbage.”
Shardlow said RCMP will follow up on reports of youth partying in the area, but it’s too early in the investigation to say whether they could be the culprits.
Initial damage to the home, located on 148 hectares at 96th Street East between 338th and 354th Avenues East, has been estimated at about $300,000, according to Okotoks RCMP.
“You get a little teary eyed,” said Colonna, describing how he felt to see his longtime vacation home burned to the ground.
“I started spending a lot of time there with my little boy now in the summer and tobogganing in the winter,” he said. “I’ve got of a lot of memories in the place. I look at the before and after picture, and it’s just hard to look at.”
Still, Colonna said he considers himself fortunate no one was hurt and the residence is not his permanent home.
“I just hope that they find the people or person that was responsible,” he said. “I can understand if somebody breaks into a place and steals something, but to burn something… somebody’s got a screw loose if they’re going around and starting fires.”
Okotoks RCMP are asking anyone who knows something about the fire to contact police at 403-938-4202. If you want to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or online at www.tipsubmit.com
