On Friday, Nov. 18 just after 9 a.m., Stettler firefighters and RCMP were on the scene at the Stettler Motel as a fire broke out and blazed through some of the rooms.
Located adjacent to Dairy Queen, off Hwy. 12, the Motel is now currently off limits as the cause for the fire is under investigation.
"There have been no casualties or injuries," said Stettler Fire Chief Mark Dennis. "The person who lived in the suite that caught on fire wasn't there when it started."
Even though the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Dennis said that there's no indication at present whether or not the fire was accidental or deliberate.
"There are currently no utilities — water, electricity and gas — at the motel building so residents are being housed elsewhere through family social services," Dennis added. "The whole building is off limits."
According to Dennis, the shell of the building is cinderblock, which helped contain the fire.
"It's too soon to tell if the building can be salvaged or not," Dennis explained. "The fire was limited to just a few suites, but it's always hard to say whether a building can be restored or if it has to be rebuilt from scratch."
Dennis also added that it was time for people to start thinking about Christmas fire safety.
"People are setting up their Christmas trees and getting in the holiday spirit," Dennis said. "Make sure to not overload outlets or extension cords and, if people have a live tree, to make sure they water it regularly to keep it from becoming dangerously dry."