EDMONTON, Alberta, July 25 (UPI) -- Police in Edmonton, Alberta, said a $20 million residential weekend fire that destroyed 18 townhouses and damaged 76 others was deliberately set.
At a Tuesday news conference, Edmonton Police Chief Michael Boyd made the announcement and said no arrests had been made but refused to say whether there were any suspects, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., reported.
Fire Chief Randy Wolsey declined to comment on whether accelerants were used, the Edmonton Sun said.
The fire began around 5 a.m. Saturday in a four-story condominium under construction. Brisk winds quickly spread what some residents described as a "wall of fire," the Sun said.
There were no fatalities and one firefighter sustained minor injuries.
Residents told police they had heard fireworks Friday night and that youths had been using the construction site as a party venue.
The Red Cross provided emergency housing for some displaced families and the Salvation Army made an appeal for clothing, as many people lost everything and escaped only with what they were wearing.
