At approximately 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services responded to a garage fire in the 700 block Columbia Boulevard West.
Twenty-one crew members from four stations arrived and found a single-car garage on fire. It was quickly brought under control and there were no injuries reported.
Estimated damage to the garage, house and vehicles is $150,000.
Update on November 10:
Fire investigators have concluded their investigation into the origin, cause and circumstances of the garage fire. The fire has been classified as accidental, with the cause being catastrophic failure of an electrical power cord from an older model portable space heater to a receptacle plug.
This garage is unsalvageable and will be demolished.
The Fire Prevention Bureau would like to remind residents that cold temperatures may cause electrical appliances, like temperature-activated portable space heaters, to stay on for longer times than they are intended for causing greater demand of power than what they are designed to handle. Appliances that are affected by colder temperatures should be used intermittently based on the manufacturer's safety recommendations.
