Calgary fire crews repsond to south east town house fire

On Tuesday, December 12th at approximately 1:15 in the afternoon, 9-1-1 was called by a neighbour to report smoke coming from a townhouse on Abergale Drive N.E. When fire crews arrived on scene, the could see smoke coming from a bedroom window. Firefighters did an aggressive interior fire attack and within 30 minutes, had the fire under control and contained to the townhouse of origin. Nobody was home at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. Firefighters successfully prevented fire damage to the other three attached townhouses thus ensuring those residents could reoccupy their homes as soon as it was safe to do so.

A Calgary Fire Department Fire Investigator attended the scene to determine the origin and cause of this fire. At this time, the fire is not being considered suspicious. The home did have working smoke alarms.

The Calgary Fire Department would like to remind Calgarians of the importance of working smoke alarms and a home escape plan. We also urge homeowners , landlords and tenants to ensure all of their appliances (especially gas burning appliances) are cleaned and maintained annually . The following need frequent checking:

Smoke alarms: Test smoke alarms, smoke/carbon monoxide alarms, arc fault circuit interrupters and ground fault circuit interrupters monthly by pressing the test button on each device.
Carbon monoxide alarms: Smoke and smoke/carbon monoxide alarms may have a battery back-up. The batteries should be replaced twice a year or as often as recommended by the manufacturer. Some devices will beep at end of life or when new batteries are required.
Mechanical equipment: Maintain proper clearances around mechanical equipment, the furnace, the hot water tank and vent pipes.
Furnace: Change your furnace filter. This can depend on a few things like if you have pets, time of year and more. It is recommended the filter be changed with the seasons. The filter itself should be checked on a monthly basis for condition and cleanliness.
Sump: On a monthly basis, complete a quick visual inspection of the sanitary sump.
Exhaust hoods: Ensure exterior intake hood openings are clean and free of debris.
Dryer vent: Check exterior exhaust hoods, specifically the dryer vent to ensure it is free of lint or any other blockages. Inspect the dryer vent connection and ensure it’s not kinked.
Ventilator: Inspect, replace or clean the filter inside the heat recovery ventilator if your home has one installed as a part of your ventilation system.
Furnace humidifier: Remove, inspect and clean or replace the furnace humidifier media.

For more information on regularly recommended maintenance, please visit https://www.calgary.ca/property-owners/home-maintenance.html

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