One man was sent by STARS Air Ambulance to an Edmonton hospital after fire took the home he was in.

EMS and the Ponoka County East District Fire Department were called to the scene of a structure fire July 18th southeast of Ponoka where witnesses stated flames had taken over the outbuilding.

A 42-year-old man was taken to a University of Alberta Hospital in serious, but stable condition.

It took crews a few hours to quell the blaze, which levelled the small building. The East District fire department then took control of the scene until a fire investigator was called in. A forensics analyst and a specially trained sniffer dog was brought to the scene to determine the cause of the blaze.

Ponoka RCMP stated in an email that one nearby vehicle was damaged in the blaze and the man sustained burns to his face and that the matter is under investigation.

One witness said when they drove by the man had run out seeking help to stop the fire, which is believed to have started in the home.

Ponoka County’s regional Fire Chief Dennis Jones said the department worked in partnership with several groups. “We’re working in partnership with the insurance company, the adjuster and their investigator,” said Jones.

A search warrant was issued the next day giving the investigators time to inspect the scene.