Wednesday morning commuters are being asked to avoid a stretch of Jasper Avenue after a fire broke out inside a downtown commercial building.
Nearly 50 firefighters are tackling a fire at a two-storey property at 11729 Jasper Ave, Edmonton Fire Rescue spokesperson Katie Stewart said in an interview Wednesday morning.
Shortly before 6 a.m., 12 fire crews were called to the scene.
Heavy smoke is making it difficult to determine the origin of the fire, Stewart said.
Edmonton police have shut down Jasper Avenue between 116th Street and 118th Street and are directing traffic in the area. Police expect the closure to last several hours.
The building houses Maximo’s Pizza and Donair.
In January 2017, Riza Kasikcioglu, the man who owned the resturant, ran into a nearby apartment complex to help save people from a late night fire.
Months later, Kasikcioglu was diagnosed with a brain tumour and — amid financial hardships and failing health — was forced to put the business up for sale.