![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/82-Street-fire-2-1024x768.jpeg\")
Edmonton firefighters work to put out a fire at an apartment building at 132 Avenue and 82 Street on July 13, 2026. (James Dunn, CityNews)<\/p>\nOne person is dead, seven were injured, and two residents remain unaccounted for in a north Edmonton apartment fire on Monday night that\u2019s being described as a \u201cmass-casualty event.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fire was started after a vehicle drove into the residential-commercial building on 132 Avenue and 82 Street, striking a gas line and triggering an explosion around 9:15 p.m. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt immediately started to vent natural gas into the area, and there were efforts to try to move the vehicle, and that\u2019s what likely created the explosion,\u201d EPS Chief Warren Driechel told a press conference Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Eleven firefighting crews were on the scene after the first call came in, and a second alarm was declared five minutes later.<\/p>\n
An 85-year-old man, believed to be a resident of the apartment complex, jumped from a balcony to escape the ensuing flames and later died of his injuries. <\/p>\n
\u201cSadly one individual felt that was the course of action they needed to take to try and flee a very dangerous situation, and tragically that was the individual who succumbed to their injuries,\u201d said Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) Fire Chief David Lazenby. \u201cIt was a very aggressive fire that was fuelled by the gas line, and as such there was no way out other than forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edmonton firefighters work to put out a fire at an apartment building at 132 Avenue and 82 Street on July 13, 2026. (James Dunn, CityNews)<\/p>\n
Six other people who were inside the building were taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. <\/p>\n
Chief Driechel said it could take a considerable amount of time \u2014 some 48 hours \u2014 before emergency services could access the building to attempt to locate the two unaccounted for residents and any pets. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they\u2019re in the structure,\u201d Driechel clarified. <\/p>\n
\u201cAgain, early stages, still trying to track down people through family members as well as business owners, landlords.\u201d <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/82-Street-fire-3.jpg\")
Edmonton firefighters work to put out a fire at an apartment building at 132 Avenue and 82 Street on July 13, 2026. (James Dunn, CityNews)<\/p>\n
The 62-year-old man behind the wheel of the vehicle was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, where he remains in stable condition. Driechel would not speculate on why the man drove into the building, but said Edmonton police are investigating several different possible offences.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s several things we\u2019re going to have to chase down in terms of this collision, and why this occurred,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mass-casualty event<\/p>\n
EPS Chief Driechel explained the fire was characterized as a mass-casualty event because of the sudden injuries and fatality that have the potential to \u201coverwhelm the first responders on scene.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re requiring multiple transportation, multiple triage sites. You\u2019re dealing with different degrees of injury, which then require us or EMS responding to different hospital sites across the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more about coordinating the response at the time, preserving evidence, understanding the scope of the incident, and just making sure all those bases are covered.\u201d <\/p>\n
Alberta Health Services tells CityNews a \u201ccode orange standby\u201d was declared within what\u2019s described as the Edmonton corridor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile hospitals were prepared for a potential increase in patients, a Code Orange was not called, and the Standby was stood down late yesterday,\u201d a spokesperson explained in an email Tuesday. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/82-Street-fire-4.jpg\")
A row of ambulances at the scene of a fire at an apartment building at 132 Avenue and 82 Street on July 13, 2026. (James Dunn, CityNews)<\/p>\n
\u2018People screaming and running\u2019<\/p>\n
David Gallinger, who lives in the neighbourhood, says he was at a nearby gas station when he heard a loud \u201cbang\u201d and \u201cpeople screaming and running.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought, \u2018oh, somebody got in a car accident.\u2019 But it didn\u2019t sound like a car accident. It didn\u2019t sound right,\u201d Gallinger told CityNews. \u201cLooked over at the building and heard some kids yelling, \u2018there\u2019s a fire.\u2019 And I could see there were flames coming up from the holes in the roof already. The convenience store was all smashed; there was glass on the ground everywhere and debris all over the place.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 16-suite building, home to 35 people, was evacuated. Twenty-one residents are currently receiving support from the Canadian Red Cross. Remaining residents were reportedly not in the building at the time.<\/p>\n
Gallinger says he witnessed one person being rescued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a guy hanging out of a window with someone else standing on a forklift pallet propped against the building trying to help him down, but he couldn\u2019t help him down, he couldn\u2019t get him down,\u201d Gallinger recounted. \u201cHe didn\u2019t get down until the firefighters arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
Multiple EFRS ladder trucks could be seen spraying the roof and various apartment units with water, trying to put out the flames. The three-storey apartment complex is a mixed-use building, with businesses on the ground floor.<\/p>\n
Several police officers, paramedics and ambulances were on the scene.<\/p>\n
The fire was deemed under control by 12:02 a.m. <\/p>\n
A vast area was closed off, with police reminding people to stay back. A portion of 82 Street, between 137 Avenue and Yellowhead Trail, was closed in all directions Monday evening as a result, with drivers being asked to avoid the area. The street remained closed between 131 Avenue and 133 Avenue on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Edmonton firefighters were still on scene Tuesday morning actively fighting the fire.<\/p>\n
\u2013With files from James Dunn<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tEdmonton firefighters work to put out a fire at an apartment building at 132 Avenue and 82 Street on July 13, 2026. (James Dunn, CityNews) <\/p>\n
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