Just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Calgary fire crews responded to a structure fire in the 0-100 block of Sunmount Close SE. Firefighters arrived to find flames at the back of a two-storey residential house. The fire may have been caused by a fierce summer storm that hit the city that evening, according to neighbours who reported extremely loud thunder and a bright flash immediately before the fires.
Gas Line Damage Complicated Firefighting Efforts
Firefighters stretched hose lines from the alley into the back yard and began knocking back the fire when they discovered the gas line was damaged and further fueling the blaze. Crews used a fog pattern to hold back the fire while attempting to clamp the gas line. A clamp was applied, reducing the gas flow, and ATCO gas attended to fully clamp and repair the line.
No one was inside the house at the time of the fire, and damage was limited to the exterior of the home.
Second Fire Across the Alley
At around the same time, additional fire crews were dispatched to a second house fire across the alley in the 0-100 block of Sunvalley Drive SE. Fire crews saw smoke coming from a second-story window as two people escaped the home. Crews checked for extension and found fire in the walls and attic space. A ladder tower was set up to access the roof and upper exterior of the home. The fire was extinguished, and a fire watch crew remained on scene for several hours.
No one was injured during the blazes. The Calgary Fire Department continues to investigate the cause, but the storm is considered a likely factor.
