Multiple fires reported in Riverbend; police investigating possible connection
The Calgary Fire Department and arson investigators are looking into what started multiple suspicious fires Thursday in the southeast community of Riverbend.
The fire started in a detached garage located in the 100 block of Riverglen Crescent S.E. around 12:40 a.m. on Thursday.
"On approach, the first arriving fire crews observed a large fire that had moved from a detached garage to a house and was spreading to adjacent homes," a CFD news release said.
More crews were called to help as the fire spread to two homes and was beginning to reach a third.
"Heat and flames from the original fire damaged property across the alley without causing spread beyond the exterior," officials said.
All of the people living in two of the homes were able to get out safe and the third house was unoccupied.
"One cat was reported missing in the source home and firefighters were able to locate the cat and provide resuscitation efforts. Calgary Police transported the cat to emergency vet care in stable condition."
The detached garage was destroyed in the blaze.
Travis O'Connell-Vacon was fast asleep when the fire broke out behind his home.
"It's kind of scary. I didn't hear anything or smell any smoke. I got my AC on, I had all that going and then I woke up to a bunch of text messages from friends being like, 'Are you okay?'" he said.
"Like, 'There's a fire behind your house.' What do you mean? Opened up my blinds and the house is just right behind me here and it's only 20 yards away and as a whole, I didn't expect that."
ATCO and ENMAX were also on scene to manage utilities.
Investigators believe two other "nuisance fires" were set to recycling bins in the back alleys of the 0 to 100 block of River Valley Crescent S.E. and the 100 block of River Valley Crescent S.E.
Police believe one fire was set around 11:30 p.m., while the other was set around the same time as the residential fire.
Bruce Crouch lives a couple of blocks away from the house fire.
He says three young males approached his back alley camera on his garage and vandalized it with purple spray paint.
"They came around to try to spray paint my security camera, then they went around the corner and spray painted my truck," Crouch said.
He says the whole thing is unfortunate.
"It's horrific," he said.
"I mean, there's nothing scarier than a fire in the middle of the night."
Police have yet to link the vandalism to the fires.
The smaller fires are not believed to have caused any property damage, but police are investigating the possibility of the three fires being connected.
Anyone with information about these incidents, CCTV or dash-cam footage of the Riverbend area, or who believes they saw something suspicious is asked to call police by calling 403-266-1234.
Specifically, investigators are looking for footage of people in the area who may have been travelling by foot or bicycle from 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, to 6 a.m., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in the areas of:
- The 100 block of Riverglen Crescent S.E.;
- The 0 to 100 block of River Valley Crescent S.E.; and
- The 100 block of River Valley Crescent S.E.
Investigators are also interested in footage from homes with a view of 18 Street S.E. between Glenmore Trail S.E. and Riverview Close S.E.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's 'most wanted terrorist' arrested on gun charges in Canada
One of India's most wanted terrorists has been arrested and charged in connection with a recent alleged shooting in Ontario.
12-year-old boy charged in stabbing of 11-year-old boy at Edmonton McDonald's
The boy stabbed at a north Edmonton McDonald's last Friday is 11 years old.
What makes walking so great for your health and what else you need to do
Medical experts agree that walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness and prevent disease. While it’s not the only sort of exercise people should do, it’s a great first step toward a healthy life.
U.S. Congress hosts second round of UFO hearings
The U.S. government held another UFO hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the second such hearing in 16 months. This hearing was billed as an attempt by congress to provide a better understanding of what is known about previous sightings of UFOs, also known as UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena).
Toronto teenager charged with first-degree murder in Kitchener, Ont. homicide
A Toronto teen has been charged as part of an investigation into Kitchener, Ont.’s first homicide of 2024.
Spy service officer denies threatening Montreal man who was later imprisoned in Sudan
A Canadian Security Intelligence Service official has denied threatening a Montreal man who was later imprisoned and allegedly tortured by authorities in Sudan.
Donald Trump picks Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general, putting a loyalist in the role of the nation's top prosecutor.
This Canadian airline will adopt Apple's new AirTag feature to help recover lost baggage. Here's how
Apple announced that a new feature, 'Share Item Location,' will help users locate and recover misplaced items by sharing an AirTag location with third parties including airlines.
Canada bracing for 'tough' talks as Trump's pick calls northern border an 'extreme vulnerability'
The Canadian government is aware it's likely in for 'tough conversations' with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's administration, after his border czar said there is 'an extreme national security vulnerability' he intends to tackle at the Canada-U.S. border.