A retired Calgary doctor who lost his wife five years ago to the very day has lost his life in a fire that tore through his home in Mount Royal on Boxing Day.
Otto Spika lived alone in the home on Premier Way S.W. after his wife of 21 years, Rosemary, died in a fall that occurred there in 2008.
On Thursday morning, at about 11:15 a.m., fire crews were called to the home after receiving several 911 calls after smoke was seen pouring from the building.
Firefighters equipped with oxygen tanks and masks searched the home and soon found 81-year-old Spika unconscious inside.
He was rushed to Foothills Hospital by paramedics, but he died later in the afternoon.
It took a while before crews were able to knock down the blaze because the old construction made it easy for the flames to quickly reach the roof of the home.
The whole interior suffered significant damage and demolition crews will be taking down what remains of the home.
Firefighters believe the fire began in the basement of the home and then spread through the walls to the roof.
“Crews got into the building trying to locate the fire,” says Battalion Chief John Cherwiniuk. “They found that it’s believe to have stated in the basement and had gotten to the walls with this older style construction, they have something called ‘balloon framing’ and the smoke just travels up the walls.”
Spika’s son, who lives in B.C., has been contacted about the situation.
