The City of Calgary says a squatter lit a fire that destroyed the historic Enoch Sales Home.
The home was gutted in a fire early Saturday morning and was torn down by city crews on Sunday.
Firefighters were called to the scene in Victoria Park around 7:00 a.m. on February 2 for reports of a fire.
When they arrived, they found smoke and flames billowing from the upper level of the wood construction home.
The blaze burned for several hours, causing extensive damage throughout the structure.
The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation owned the home and says someone broke into it Friday night.
“Somebody climbed into the building to get out of the cold, and lit a fire, my assumption is to stay warm, and obviously that fire got away from them,” says Michael Brown with the Calgary Municipal land Corporation.
On Sunday, crews demolished the 114-year-old, 3,400 square foot house that has been vacant for the past 20 years.
The Enoch Sales House was built in 1904 and was one of the only historic homes left in the City of Calgary.
There were efforts to have the home preserved and moved from its location in Victoria Park, but funding was never approved to move ahead with any of the proposals.
The Calgary Heritage Authority says there’s nothing of significance left to save from the rubble.
No one was injured in the fire and no charges have been laid.
