Neighbours concerned after weekend fire at vacant central Edmonton church

Flames and a big cloud of smoke rising from a vacant church in central Edmonton’s McCauley neighbourhood on Sunday afternoon has left some nearby residents concerned.

“I could smell burning, but saw no flames no smoke. And I thought it was the usual fires in the back alley kind of thing, keeping warm, and my wife came out two minutes later, and she’s like – the Mustard Seed’s on fire,” said Kerry Triner, a nearby resident.

The church is now in ruins, and it’s difficult for the property owner to see.

“It’s heartbreaking, actually … even though we had plans to demolish it because of its structural capacity, it’s still an icon, and it is still our roots,” said Megan Schuring, senior manager of Edmonton City Initiatives with the Mustard Seed.

At least two dozen firefighters battled the fire from about 1:30 p.m. to just before 6 p.m. on Sunday. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

A fire so big caused concern, but neighbours told CityNews that fires aren’t uncommon around here.

“A little bit anxious at that point because didn’t know how far the fire is going to go,” said Pasi Gunguwo, a McCauley resident for two years.

Nearby residents say they see a lot of small fires in alleys, especially with this cold weather.

Witnesses add they saw people on the property multiple times, getting behind the fencing, after it went up recently, and even a few warming fires right at the back of the church.

This has left those who live nearby with questions.

“A fair few fires, a fair few bodies. It’s just part and parcel of living in the area,” said Triner.

Gunguwo says, “Fire trucks are here one day or the next. It’s a regular thing in this neighbourhood …”

Gary Denty, another neighbour, says, “[I] saw the police a couple days ago taking people out of there. They took about eight/ten people out of there, and then later that night, people were going back inside. They should have done something about that.”

The Mustard Seed says they have been doing their best to secure the property, with regular checks.

“Going back and re-locking, rekeying, re-bolting the doors to ensure the safety of people not getting in. By that point, we had done what we could in the monitoring of the situation,” said Schuring.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded to seven fire calls in the McCauley neighbourhood in November.

-With files from Lauren Boothby