A historical hangar at the former site of the Edmonton Municipal Airport beside the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) main campus burned to the ground on Monday.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) said in a Monday interview with CTV News Edmonton it received a call around 6:54 p.m. about the fire at Hangar 11, which had been designated a historic resource by city council.

“Very soon, the first crews on scene realized the interior of the structure was fully involved, so there was no interior attack as it was already unsafe for anyone to go into the building itself,” said EFRS District One Fire Chief Jessica LaMer.

“It's a very huge fire load in a hangar like this.”

Because of the wood construction and high winds, LaMer said it “got the fire going really quickly so we just called in more resources to try and keep the fire under control and keep it to the area we were worried about exposures.”

Hangar 11 sits on the east side of the Edmonton Municipal Airport on the western edge of NAIT’s main campus.

At one point, 11 fire crews were on scene, with heavy smoke and flames coming from Hangar 11. No injuries were reported.

People watching the fire were directed by the Edmonton Police Service to stay back. Traffic on roads in the area saw vehicles slowing down and stopping to watch it.

It was built by the American military in 1942 and was believed to be the last building of its kind in Western Canada.

Two years ago, plans were in place to turn it into a mixed-use retail and commercial space.

NAIT asked students and staff to stay away from its main campus on Tuesday because of poor air quality in buildings. However, it said some classes would be moved online.

Edmonton LRT service to NAIT/Blatchford Market Station was cancelled until 10 p.m. because of the fire.

The Pipeline: May 4, 2022

Related Stories