A fire gutted an adult video and accessory store in west Edmonton on Friday morning, and firefighters worked into the evening to tear it down to snuff out the smouldering rubble and investigate.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) received a 5:30 a.m. alarm at Times Square XXX on 155 Street and Stoney Plain Road, where firefighters encountered a blaze that dangerously damaged the building, EFRS District 4 Chief Bruce Kaminski said at the scene.

“Fire crews entered the building initially, but conditions inside the building caused them to retreat because of the heavy, thick, black smoke and instability of the ceiling,” he said. “At that point we switched our fire attack to a defensive mode and called the second alarm to get additional resources to the event.”

EFRS said it initially responded to the call within five minutes and had as many as 13 units at the scene.

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Shortly after 10 a.m., when EFRS declared the fire under control, crews and emergency medical services were still on the scene, with police blocking traffic along Stony Plain Road at 154 Street and 156 Street. Elevated firefighters from two ladder trucks fired twin streams of water into the building through the roof, which appeared to have collapsed.

Flames on the roof

Neighbourhood resident Jason Ein told Postmedia he was walking in the area at about 5 a.m. when he observed smoke and fire.

“I saw the flames come up from the roof,” he said.

Neighbour Dillion Cardinal said he locked eyes on a similar sight after receiving an early morning call from his mother, who alerted him to a fire in the area.

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“The flames were a lot higher than the building,” he said. “Twice as high.”

The building was “very compartmentalized,” also creating difficulties for firefighter entry and leading crews to douse the blaze from above, Kaminski said, adding that the basement flooded as a result, but a crew on scene was prepared to pump out the water to enable further assessment.

Shattered window glass littered the storefront, still smouldering by noon, as a ladder truck continued to hose down the north side of the building while a track-hoe proceeded to tear down the south wall and remnants of the roof.

Neighbouring businesses saved

Kaminski said EFRS had to remove the walls to tackle remaining hotspots and allow investigators to enter, and while the store was located at the western edge of a string of businesses, firefighters successfully mitigated losses.

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“The crews this morning did a fantastic job holding the fire at the firewall between the building next door and this building,” he said. “We were able to save the buildings adjacent.”

The building was also struck with a fire in May 1995, causing an estimated $1,500 in damage. Firefighters at the time found two cans of flammable lacquer thinner on the roof of the building.

Postmedia contacted Times Square XXX for comment but did not immediately receive a response. According to website for the business listed on an outside banner, the store opened in February 1990 and sold pornographic movies and sex toys while also housing coin-operated peep shows for social or discreet viewing.

While limited from his vantage point across the street, Cardinal suspected the destruction means “no more peep shows.”

EFRS said it has not received report of injuries from the fire, and the cause is still under investigation.

— With files from Postmedia