'Quite catastrophic': Fire burns through 6 businesses at southwest strip mall
A large team of firefighters descended on a fire that broke out inside a southwest Calgary strip mall Thursday morning.
Calgary Fire Department district chief Kevin Wiens said a passerby called 911 when they saw smoke and fire coming from the strip mall in the 1800 block of Sirocco Drive S.W. around 2:45 a.m.
"Our first engine arrived from a neighbouring station about five minutes later and started immediate fire operations," he said.
The fire had been knocked down as of 6 a.m., but crews remained at the scene.
"We are looking for extensions and working to make sure it isn't going to go anywhere else," Weins said.
He said fighting fires in larger structures like a strip mall requires a specific strategy that balances risk and takes all precautions to ensure crews are safe while they do their job.
"We're using bigger lines on top and eventually, once we got it down, we're going inside and getting rid of the rest of the fire," he said.
Wiens said about six businesses were damaged in the fire and some of those are "total losses."
"In some of the units, it's quite catastrophic," he said.
"As time goes on today, and we can get inside and check out a little bit more, we'll be able to determine how much that is."
Rick Chuk has owned the Levilla Restaurant for 18 years.
His business did not sustain any water or fire damage, but the restaurant was filled with thick smoke.
"I have never closed for 18 years. Not even during COVID. I survived all of that stuff, all the ups and downs of the economy, so I don't want to think about that," he told CTV News.
"The good news is no one was (reported) injured," said Carol Henke, public information officer for the fire department.
"However, this is devastating for these small business owners. After everything we've been through in the last few years, it is absolutely a blow they did not need."
Chuk said despite the tough news, he's most concerned about the well-being of his staff.
"For me, I can start my insurance claim pretty soon, they say. I should be able to do that. Hopefully, I can open as soon as possible," he said.
"Owning a restaurant is tough. We're just recovering from COVID, so we need all of the support that we can get. It's a tough business."
There was no information on the cause of the fire, but an investigator was on scene throughout the day.
Henke said there is security camera footage from at least one nearby business that should help their work.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE NOW Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Jury finds Andrei Donet guilty of second-degree murder in stabbing death of Montreal teen
A jury has found a 21-year-old man guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Montreal teenager Jannai Dopwell-Bailey outside his school in 2021.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Britain slammed in inquiry for infecting thousands with tainted blood and covering up the scandal
British authorities and the country's public health service knowingly exposed tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections through contaminated blood and blood products, and hid the truth about the disaster for decades, an inquiry into the U.K.'s infected blood scandal found Monday.