One of the oldest buildings in Bonnyville is a smoldering ruin today after a massive fire.
The building that served as the Sunlife Financial Office started going up in smoke around 10 in the morning today.
“At about 10 o clock the power went out. We went to go see the breaker, but then we started to smell smoke,” says Sunlife employee Brendan Roberts. “A town of Bonnyville worker was coming in yelling to get out and that the back of the building was on fire.”
“We got some of the main stuff out, our computers and all that. All the people in our office are out and safe so that’s the main thing. Files can be replaced, desks can be replaced, but we’re out and safe.”
The fire’s damage was extensive. Large chunks of the roof were burned off completely and the shed at the back was so badly burned it had to be demolished on the spot. While the top floor of the main building appeared to be completely ruined, people could be seen retrieving items from the main floor. Water from fire hoses could be seen pouring out the doors though.
While it’s highly unlikely the building will be salvageable, things could be a lot worse. Lakeland Variety is mere feet away from the site of the blaze, but fire crews were able to spare it from damage. It took a significant amount of water on the roof from spray, but an employee who entered the business to let a firefighter in said everything appeared to be safe and sound.
Below are some pictures from the incident.
