Calgary fire crews battle early morning house fire in N.E.
Just after 5:00 this morning, 9-1-1 received calls regarding a fire at the back of a house on Tarrington Green North East. Residents of the house were alerted to the fire by a woman banging on their door. The fire quickly grew and climbed up the siding and into the eaves of the house.
When fire crews arrived on scene, smoke and flames were visible and the fire had breached the windows and roof. The family of four escaped without injury prior to CFD arrival. Two adults and two children under the age of ten are now displaced. They are receiving assistance from CEMA (Calgary Emergency Management Agency) and the Red Cross.
The house sustained significant fire and smoke damage. The family did have working smoke alarms however due to the origin of the fire, the smoke alarms only activated once fire had breached the windows from the outside.
Residential fires that start on the outside of homes are extremely dangerous, especially if not detected early. Occupants have only mere seconds to get out once an exterior fire grows and makes it's way inside the house.
On the heels of Fire Prevention Week, the Calgary Fire Department would like to remind citizens that preventing fires and being prepared is a yearlong endeavor. Ensure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home. Ideally we recommend interconnected smoke alarms both inside and outside the sleeping areas. Plan and practise a home escape plan. Practise twice per year, once during the day and once at night. Always practise fire prevention.
The Calgary Fire Department would also like to remind those that smoke to ensure you have a non combustible sturdy container to put your cigarette butts into. Planter pots, dirt or soil contain organic matter which can smoulder for hours before erupting into a potentially devastating fire. Fore more information on fire safety, please visit www.calgary.ca/fire
This fire has been determined to be accidental in nature and was due to the improper disposal of smoking materials.
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