Strathcona Hotel fire smouldered for 11 hours before firefighters called

Thefire at the Strathcona Hotel on Friday was sparked 11 hours before firefighters were eventuallycalled, saysEdmonton Fire Rescue Services.

Firefighters were called to the scene at Whyte Avenue and 103thStreet at around 9:30 p.m. Friday, and battledthe blaze for five hours before declaring it out at 2 a.m. Saturday.

Investigators have determined the fire started at around 10:30 a.m. Friday when sparks from a grinder ignitedinsulation in theattic.

A contractor doing renovation work at the hotel tried to usean extinguisher to put the fire out and thought he had been successful, fire rescue services said in a news release Monday.

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Fire crews were finally dispatched to the sceneafter a resident in a nearby apartment building called to report smoke coming from the hotel's roof.

The roof was badly damaged, but the building's iconic facade isstill in place.

The damage estimate from the fire is still being determined.

Constructed in 1891, the hotel is one of Alberta's last 19th century wood-framed hotels, predating the province and the city.