At a news conference Monday morning Acting Chief Darryl DaCosta said that the EPS homicide unit is investigating the massive explosion Sunday afternoon in a north-Edmonton neighbourhood and treating it as suspicious.
Officials want to ensure that homes in the area are safe before residents will be allowed back in to the neighbourhood..
Fire officials confirmed Monday morning that a fourth person is dead following a massive explosion that rocked a north-Edmonton neighbourhood Sunday afternoon.
Several people are in hospital with unknown injuries as a result of the blast, including a child.
The explosion occurred around 1:20 pm Sunday afternoon at a home located at 91 St. and 180A Ave. According to an official release, Edmonton District Fire Chief Robert D'Aoust said crews arrived to find one house completely demolished with just a crater in its place.
Edmontonians within a 12-block radius of where the blast occurred report feeling reverberations. A man who lives a block-and-a-half from the scene said he felt and heard the impact clearly from his home.
"I was just sitting on my computer and all of a sudden there was this loud bang, my entire house just shook," said Dave Sinclair.
He said he ran towards the noise along with many other neighbours and was shocked to see the source of the devastation.
"It was a house that was just in smithereens, people running, trying to get people out of the house if there was anybody in there, they were running next door – it was really pandemonium," he said.
Sinclair said one house was obliterated, with the homes to the immediate left and right half destroyed. He said windows across the street were also shattered during the impact.
The cause of the explosion is not known at this time, crews spent Sunday night investigating if propane or natural gas played a role. They say at this point there is no evidence to indicate a drug lab could be behind the blast.
28 homes homes were directly affected by the explosion, two of which cannot be salvaged. Approximately 40 families were displaced from their homes. While most are staying with family and friends, one family is receiving help from the Red Cross.
Late Sunday afternoon, officials explained how much manpower was needed to secure the area.
"At the height of it we were at about 21 fire apparatus units on location here to fight not just the fire in the structures, but to fight the fires that had spread to surrounding areas, being wild land areas right behind and numerous vehicles and garages as well that were involved in this event," said Fire Cpt. Robert D'Aoust with Edmonton Fire and Rescue.
Shalena Flett was several blocks away at the time of the incident, lounging with friends at her home on 80th Street and 171st Avenue. Still, she's reeling from the blast.
"We were just sitting right in our backyard and we all just kind of felt this rumble and we looked and we seen wood and sparks and fire," she said.
"It looked like a house had exploded. Like the top had come right off of it in pieces.
"It's too close to home… I don't know I just freaked out."
Edmonton Police Service Homicide detectives have taken over the investigation.
With Files from Bill Fortier and Sonia Sunger
