Calgary Fire Crews Fight Balcony Fire in Royal Oak

At approximately 7:50  in the morning of Wednesday, June 5, Calgary fire crews were dispatched to a four story residential building on Royal Oak Plaza.  When firefighters arrived on scene,  they confirmed a fire on a south facing balcony of a suite on the fourth floor.  An outdoor balcony sprinkler had already activated and was containing most of the fire. Some of the flames had however made their way up through the soffits and into the attic space about the unit. The resident had tried to assist with the extinguishment of the fire however is was too large and she escaped without injuries.

Fire crews hit the fire quickly with a  master stream from a deck gun and then also deployed other apparatus including a ladder truck to continue firefighting efforts. The entire building of over 120 units was evacuated for the safety of the residents.  No injuries as a result of the fire were reported.  One resident slept through the whole event as he was wearing noise cancelling headphones and did not hear the fire alarm.  This is an important reminder that if people choose to use devices that  dramatically dimmish their senses,  this can put them at significant risk of missing lifesaving signals that there is an emergency and  that they need to evacuate the building immediately.

Fire crews were kept busy throughout the morning fighting the fire that had made its way into the attic above the suite where the fire originated.  Firefighters continue to perform overhaul however most residents are being allowed back into their suites providing they have been deemed safe by CFD personnel. 

A fire investigator attended the scene and determined through a thorough scene examination and witness statements, that the fire was unintentional and was caused as a result of a cigarette being put in a planter pot. The Calgary Fire Department strongly recommends smokers follow these guidelines when disposing of  smoking materials as the improper disposal of smoking materials such as tobacco products are the leading cause of outdoor fires in Calgary.: 

• Use a deep, wide, sturdy metal container with a lid, filled part way with sand or water that should be emptied regularly.
• Ensure all butts and ash are out by soaking them with water prior to putting in the trash.
• Never put out cigarettes or smoking material in flower planter, peat moss, your lawn or garden. 
• Extreme caution should be used in the city’s natural areas and green spaces where extremely dry vegetation covering the ground provides readily combustible fuel if an ignition source is applied.

For more home fire safety information and fire prevention tips, please visit calgary,ca/fire

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