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<\/p>\nEditor\u2019s Note: \u201cThis story includes a 2023 quote from Brenda Mydlak, when her last name was Erdmann\u201d<\/p>\n
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Edmonton fire crews were busy late Wednesday battling a blaze at a used building materials warehouse off Kingsway Avenue.<\/p>\n
Edmonton Fire got the 911 call around 9:30pm to attend the family-run Architectural Clearinghouse on 119 Street near 115 Avenue.<\/p>\n
District Chief Darren Rachkewich said a second alarm had to be called, meaning a total of nine crews responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen crews arrived on scene there was heavy fire and smoke,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there was no interior attack initiated at that time. It was just a defensive attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tThe fire raged Wednesday night as crews worked to get the blaze under control.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tEric Beck \/ Global News\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Architectural Clearinghouse salvages used building materials and sells them at a discounted price. It has been around since 1988.<\/p>\n
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In an interview with Global News in 2023, operations manager Brenda Erdmann (now Mydlak) explained how the business works: \u201cWe\u2019ll go into a house that\u2019s coming down or being completely renovated and we will salvage anything that\u2019s worth salvaging.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cSometimes we go into the house, sometimes the homeowner brings it to us, sometimes the contractors bring it to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the items have historical value, including pieces from Fort Edmonton before it did renovations.<\/p>\n
Mydlak was visibly upset when she arrived on scene Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI came down and it was\u2026 basically gone,\u201d she said, watching as a backhoe dismantled the fire-ravaged building.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t even have words \u2013 it was shocking, it was devastating, this is how we feed our families and pay our bills and now we don\u2019t know how we\u2019re going to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mydlak said she ran the storefront while her brother ran the business operations.<\/p>\n
She said since Wednesday night the family has been getting messages of support online \u2013 which helps dull the pain.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also been concern expressed for their shop cat, Stanley, who she confirmed died a month earlier.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s grateful no people, or pets, were injured in the fire.<\/p>\n
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\u201cFamily is everything and everything else is just everything else,\u201d Mydlak said.<\/p>\n
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Damage to the building from the fire was severe \u2014 the roof caved in.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so sad to see your life\u2019s work and your Dad\u2019s life\u2019s work go up in flames.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mydlak believes everything inside is a loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all the stuff we\u2019ve been collecting. The glass door knobs from 1925, the five panel fir doors\u2026 It\u2019s all the stuff that is irreplaceable and that\u2019s all inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
District Chief Rachkewich said it\u2019s more difficult to fight a fire like this \u201cbecause it\u2019s a heavy fuel load, a lot of combustibles inside the building.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Mydlak said some items that were outside in their storage yard may be saved, as well as their cube van.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no word yet on a cause but fire investigators remained at the scene Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tThe Architectural Clearinghouse following Wednesday night\u2019s fire.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tQuinn Ohler \/ Global News\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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