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Fire spreads through block of townhomes in southwest Edmonton 

Residents were evacuated from a block of townhouses in southwest Edmonton Wednesday morning as a fire spread rapidly through several homes. 

Matt Pretty, a spokesperson with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, said crews remain in the area of 35th Avenue and Derochers Boulevard.

Images of the scene in the Allard neighbourhood show a wall of flames consuming several structures in the area as plumes of black smoke filled the sky.

In an interview early Wednesday, Pretty said several homes on the block, which includes a mixture of finished and unfinished townhomes, sustained damage.

The call came in at 4:27 a.m. and the first crew arrived by 4:32 a.m., Pretty said. Further firefighters arrived throughout the morning with a total of 14 units dispatched to the scene, he said.

Pretty said all residents of the block were evacuated and placed on two city buses in a nearby school parking lot early Wednesday morning. He could not provide an exact number of evacuees.

As of 6:30 a.m., the fire remained active. 

“We’re going to be on scene for quite a while, I think,” Pretty said.

“It’s certainly still a working fire. I’m sure it will be a working fire into the morning.” 

No injuries have been reported. 

In a traffic advisory issued at 6 a.m., Edmonton police urged drivers to avoid the scene. Roads in the area of 119th Street S.W. and 35th Avenue S.W. have been closed as crews continue to battle the blaze. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

“Hopefully, they’ll be able to find out a cause later today,” Pretty said.

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