Fire that began in attached garage leaves newly built home in ruins
Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire that set a house ablaze in Calgary’s northeast around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday.
The house was newly built in Savanna Grove and neighbours estimate the occupants moved in just four months earlier.
Just three houses left of the now burned house, lives Harjit Bhatti and her family. They woke up to loud noises and quickly exited their house when they saw orange flames jumping from the garage of their neighbours house.
“The flames — oh my god. The flames were huge.”
“It was so, so scary. I thought the whole line (of houses) was gone,” said Bhatti.
She waited outside with her family watching the fire die down before returning home three hours later.
But for the family whose twostorey home was ravaged by flames, returning won’t be an option until the air quality and structure is deemed safe. That will be determined by the investigators.
The family was still waiting outside the home and among the flying debris Tuesday afternoon.
Early indications show the fire started in their garage, said District Chief Mike Van Tetering. The fire then climbed upward and spread through the interior of the house and toward the back of the home, he said.
Van Tetering said fires like this are “pretty typical” for houses that are constructed with an attached garage.
At the time of the fire, three occupants were inside the house. They safely exited with no injuries after calling the police, said Van Tetering.
He said it took about 45 minutes to control the fire.
The houses next door received minor damage, but the brunt of the fire was confined to the single residence.
Fire crews will remain on scene for the rest of Tuesday to watch for fire.
“Of course they are obviously very rattled and devastated about what’s happened with their home,” said Van Tetering.
The family, in shock after the incident, declined to comment.