Early morning fire rips through northwest Calgary building
Officials are investigating after a fire broke out inside a vacant building in northwest Calgary early Sunday morning.
The Calgary Fire Department says crews were dispatched to the 1100 block of Gladstone Road N.W. for reports of a fire at approximately 12:45 a.m. A second alarm was called immediately because of the situation, officials said.
"Upon arrival, fire crews faced significant smoke and visible flames from the interior of a three-storey cinder block commercial building. Firefighters quickly initiated an exterior defensive attack," the CFD said in a release.
Crews also set up a number of water towers to keep the fire from spreading to other businesses, such as a bike shop next door.
EMPTY FOR YEARS
Officials say the building where the fire began had been empty for some time.
"Reports were that the structure had been vacant for a number of years," officials said.
People who live in the area believe it was an abandoned community centre.
"We thought it was smoke from construction or something like that but we turned the corner and saw a bunch of smoke coming from the top," said Matthew Powell.
A short moment later, they said they heard the sirens approaching and then firefighters were at the scene.
Powell says it took only about 10 minutes for the building to be fully involved.
"It's pretty crazy."
Fire crews, along with a fire investigator, will remain at the scene to ensure all the flames have been extinguished and they haven't spread to other buildings.
Officials say damage was limited to the one structure.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.