Part of former Jasper Place Hotel collapses after fire

A building that's been abandoned for years caught fire Thursday morning, raising questions as to why it was never demolished.

Part of the former Jasper Place Hotel along Edmonton’s Stony Plain Road collapsed on Thursday after an early morning fire.

The fire was reported around 5:15 a.m., according to an Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) spokesperson.

“The wind was pushing it from the south, so the fire spread from the south to the north, and it traveled under the roof where we can’t get at it,” Jay Kilgannon with EFRS told CTV News Edmonton.

Stony Plain Road was closed in both directions between 149 Street and 156 Street while firefighters were on scene. Police redirected traffic and advised motorists to find alternate routes.

The cause of the fire is not yet known and no injuries have been reported.

The hotel was closed in 2020 after a fire 2019, and has been empty since then.

“We’ve dealt with a lot of fires in boarded up buildings over the past number of years, and I’m sure it will continue to be a concern until more of these buildings get demolished,” Kilgannon said.

The executive director of the Stony Plain Road Business Association said the circumstances are what turns empty properties into problem properties.

“It’s less of a trend of buildings burning down; it’s more of a trend of we need more eyes on the street and we need better enforcement of problem properties. And a property becomes a problem property when it’s vacant and it’s not well maintained,” Todd Janes told CTV News Edmonton.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Kenny