'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
What weather experts say to expect this summer in Canada
Get ready to feel the heat, Canada. Weather experts are predicting more sunshine and warmer temperatures for the summer.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Israel sends tanks into Rafah on raids amid Gaza-wide offensive
Israeli tanks mounted raids across Rafah in defiance of the World Court for a second day on Wednesday, after Washington said the assault did not amount to a major ground operation in the southern Gazan city that U.S. officials have warned Israel to avoid.
Five more Ontario school boards join lawsuit against social media platforms
Five additional Ontario school boards and two independent private schools have joined a lawsuit against the owners of multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
In bizarre provocation, North Korea flies trash, manure balloons over the South
North Korea flew hundreds of balloons carrying trash and manure toward South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South’s military to mobilize chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country.
Introducing peanut butter during infancy can help protect against a peanut allergy later on, new study finds
New evidence suggests that feeding children smooth peanut butter during infancy and early childhood can help reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy even years later.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.