No injuries have been reported following a Sunday morning fire in Chalet, a townhouse community in the 300 block of Evanscreek Court Northwest, thanks in part to the actions of neighbours.
At approximately 5:30 a.m., a fire broke out in a centre unit of the row houses.
Daniel Noti, who lives several doors down with his wife and daughter, says he awoke to the sound of someone pounding on his front door and shouts of ‘there’s a big fire’.
“You’re heart’s beating really quick because you don’t know where it is and you just smell the smoke,” said Noti. “When I opened up the front door I saw the flames literally hitting almost our porch. That’s how big it was.”
Noti says the community is usually quiet, neighbours keep to themselves, but everyone came together during Sunday’s emergency.
“Everybody did very well just trying to notify everyone,” said Noti. “Knocking on doors and hitting cans. It was great. I was proud to see that.
Acting Battalion Chief Randy McRae of the Calgary Fire Department says fire crews were called to the scene at about 5:45 a.m.
“Initial crews found the centre unit, unit 26, heavily involved in fire on the front side of the unit at the front porch,” said McRae. “They immediately called a second alarm.”
Firefighters feared the fire had made its way into the roof area of the attached homes but crews successfully extinguished the blaze before it engulfed neighbouring units.
McRae says there have been no reported injuries but some residents will remain displaced from their homes.
“One unit is fairly heavily damaged, the units on either side will have to be overhauled,” said McRae. “We had a total of 16 people evacuated from six units and they will stay evacuated for the rest of the day as crews go through and make sure the fire stays out.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
