Fire at vacant half-duplex ignites neighbours calls for action in Red Deer

According to Catherine, she’s reported this to the City of Red Deer but is still seeking answers.

She hopes someone from the city can enforce more effective security measures and hold the owner accountable, given the impact on neighbours and public safety.

“My goal is to make everyone aware that this is getting to be a serious problem that needs to be fixed before it gets out of hand. It’s already out of hand,” she said. “We can’t be complacent and wait for another round of this to happen again. This is a community safety issue that we need to mitigate. We want to see our taxes working.”

(Image Credit: Supplied)

This all came to a recent boiling point when a fire was started in a shed located in the backyard of the vacant property.

Catherine alleges the fire was started by an unhoused individual.

However, Red Deer Emergency Services Fire Chief Curtis Schaefer said in a statement, that the fire is under investigation and that there were no injuries.

He said crews responded to the report of a shed fire on the property at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 17.

Firefighters arrived within five minutes and had the fire knocked down within 10 minutes. Crews were on scene for approximately one hour.

Schaefer said the blaze also extended to the shed in the other yard of the duplex, but did not extend to the house.

Catherine added that the fire damaged her shed, fence, and even cracked her back windows due to the heat of the blaze.

Cracks in the back window that she said were allegedly due to the fire. (Image Credit: Supplied)

She said multiple reports have been filed with the police because of unhoused individuals accessing the property. However, she alleges police told her tenants that they can’t do anything about it because it’s the property owner’s decision.

In a statement from Red Deer RCMP, Cpl. Candace Hrdlicka said they have not opened a criminal investigation regrading the fire because there was no suspicion of a criminal offence.

She said if, at any time, information arises to suggest a fire was intentionally set, a criminal investigation would then be pursued.

She added that RCMP attended five calls at the residence between Nov. 27 and Dec. 7, 2025.

In each call, it was reported there were trespassers on site and in two of the instances, police located youths on site, who were given warnings about trespassing and taken home to their parents. In the other instances, no one was located.

Police have been in contact with the owner of the vacant property, who did not want to pursue criminal investigations for break and enter.

“I would suggest the appropriate route for the neighbour would be to report their concerns to the City of Red Deer under the Community Standards Bylaw in relation to nuisance or unruly properties,” she said. “Another possible option would be to call the fire department or Alberta Health Services Public Health Inspector.”

The result of the shed where the fire started in the vacant property. (Image Credit: Supplied)

Catherine explained she’s heard from other citizens in the city who are neighbours to vacant properties and have had similar experiences, such as unkept yards and unwanted visitors. She feels this is a much broader issue in Red Deer.

“I hope the city can do something about it because if stuff like this continues to happen, who knows what could happen to people or their homes,” Catherine said.

rdnewsNOW reached out to the homeowner of the vacant property, who said he plans to make the property livable again. He argued that since he lives in Calgary, he can’t know what is going on at his property.

In a statement from the City of Red Deer, John Ferguson, municipal policing services manager, said they’re aware of the home and would not characterize vacant or boarded properties as a growing issue in the community.

“At any given time, there may be vacant properties throughout the city, and concerns are generally addressed on a case-by-case basis as they are reported,” Ferguson said.

“The city’s compliance and policing services team has authority to address issues such as property maintenance, unsightly conditions, weeds, and other matters regulated through municipal bylaws. Potential criminal activity or unauthorized entry onto private property falls under the jurisdiction of the RCMP. As with any property, concerns that are brought to our attention are reviewed and addressed through the appropriate processes and authorities available to us.”

by Ian Gustafson

Fire at vacant half-duplex ignites neighbours calls for action in Red Deer

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