Three dead after shed fire outside northwest Calgary hardware store

Three people were found dead in the Crowfoot Crossing area of northwest Calgary on Monday after a fire.

Firefighters were called to the parking lot of a Lowe's home improvement location in the 0-100 block of Crowfoot Way N.W. around 3:50 a.m.

Emergency crews arrived to find one shed that had been gutted by the fire and another with partial damage.

The sheds were part of a dozen display units in the store's parking lot.

Though the flames didn't spread to the store, crews surveying the scene discovered three bodies inside the shed.

Calgary EMS spokesperson Stuart Brideaux says there were no injuries to any witnesses.

"However, the three individuals that EMS were able to assess after the fire was put out were declared deceased and not transported to hospital."

Carol Henke, a spokesperson for the Calgary Fire Department, says it appears the victims were using the shed for shelter, but that will be confirmed as part of the Calgary Police Service's arson investigation.

Officials say the deaths are not considered suspicious.

"This is a shock, that something like this happens here, in this city," said area resident Linda McCaw.

"I just pulled up here to come in to buy something and found out that three people have died here. It is unbelievable."

'JUST TRYING TO KEEP WARM'

Tracy Tamas said she lives in a building nearby and knew two of the three people who died in the blaze, a man and a woman.

“Such special and great people, they were just trying to keep warm,” Tamas told CTV News.

“It’s very dangerous. You risk frostbite if you don’t have heat and if you have a heat source, you risk this.”

Tamas said the man and woman weren’t a couple, but both left behind children.

“They were loved very much and they were members of our community and they will be missed. Greatly, greatly missed. Miss them so much already,” she said.

With files from CTV News Calgary’s Teri Fikowski