Seven people have been displaced following an early morning structure fire in the Calgary community of Sherwood on Thursday. The blaze, which broke out in the 100 block of Sherwood Crescent N.W., also caused exterior damage to two neighbouring homes.
Firefighters Respond to Intense Blaze
The Calgary Fire Department received the call at 12:15 a.m. and arrived to find heavy smoke and flames emanating from a two-story residential home, according to public information officer Alex Kwan. Firefighters quickly deployed high-volume fire hoses between the homes to combat the flames and set up high-flow ground monitors to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjacent properties.
The fire traveled from the rear of the house up to the roof, prompting crews to use a ladder truck to access the roof and protect nearby homes. Firefighters entered the building with a hose line to extinguish hot spots on the second-floor ceiling, while other teams conducted searches to ensure all occupants had evacuated safely.
Wind Complicates Firefighting Efforts
Kwan noted that wind gusts exceeding 40 km/h were reported during the incident, and the wind shifted as crews worked. Despite these challenging conditions, firefighters successfully limited the fire's spread and kept the response at a first-alarm level. No injuries were reported among the 17 occupants who evacuated from three homes. While two neighbouring homes sustained exterior damage, all occupants from those residences were able to return.
Investigation Underway
A fire investigator attended the scene, and fire watch crews remained on-site throughout the morning to monitor for any rekindling. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. However, Kwan emphasized that improper disposal of smoking materials continues to be the leading cause of outdoor fires in Calgary. He urged residents to properly dispose of smoking materials to reduce outdoor fire risks.
