Calgary Fire Crews Respond to Five Working Fires in 24 Hours

Calgary Fire Department crews responded to five working structure fires across the city over the past 24 hours.

Fire crews responded to a single-story residential home in the community of Pineridge. Crews arrived to find a home which was under renovation and unoccupied with a fire in the ceiling/attic space and quickly knockdown the smouldering fire. No injuries were reported and the fire was contained to the source home.

In the community of Silver Springs, a fire started on the exterior deck at the back of the house. Crews arrived and stretched a hose line to the back yard and were able to extinguish the fire before it spread inside the home. One senior occupant was assisted by fire crews while evacuating while the rest of the occupants were able to self-evacuated. No occupants were injured and the fire was contained to the source home.

At around midnight, fire crews responded to the community of Martindale for a basement fire. A neighbour called 9-1-1 after being alerted by one of the occupants that had self-evacuated. Crews made entry and were able to quickly knock down the fire. Two occupants were assessed by Emergency Health Services. The fire was limited to contents inside the basement and did not spread to the structure.

After fire crews' morning shift change, firefighters responded to a working fire in the community of Westgate. A neighbour notice smoke coming for a house next door and called 9-1-1. Fire crews arrived to find a fire inside a walk-in closet area of a single-story residential home. There was no one home at the time of the incident and no injuries were reported. The fire was contained to the room of origin.

The fifth fire was in the community of Bowness in a single-story residential home. Fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the rear roof area. Crews stretched hose lines to the back yard as heat from the fire broke a window while stretching another line to the front door. Crews in the backyard were able to apply water through the window which helped knock down and cool the fire. Firefighters then entered the front door and finished knocking down the fire from inside. After initial knockdown, crews noticed flames and heat had extended into the ceiling/roof and began overhaul operations. The home had extensive renovations and modifications as crews needed to break through several layers of ceiling and false roof to ensure the fire was out. There was no one home at the time of the incident this fire was also contained to the source home.

The causes of these fires are all under investigation as fire investigators attended all the incidents. While the cold weather conditions increase the risk of firefighting equipment freezing up or malfunctioning, fortunately those were not an issue at these fires. 

Calgary Fire Department would like to remind everyone:

• Please detour around fire incidents. Watch for emergency lights, Calgary Police vehicles, scene tape and traffic cones. These indicate that the road is closed and we place these traffic control devices at the nearest intersections to divert traffic.
• Keep anything that can burn at least 1 m away from any heat sources.
• Have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, test them by pressing the test button once a month, change any replaceable batteries at least once per year, some alarms are powered by ten-year batteries and batteries do not need to be changed, and replace alarms every ten years.
• Plan and practice a home escape plan at least twice a year. Everyone in the home should know two ways out in an emergency, where the safe meeting place is and the address of the home. The plan should include how to help anyone requiring assistance such as young children, seniors, people with disabilities or people with injuries.

Please visit www.calgary.ca/fire for more fire safety information.

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