Crews tackle fire at vacant downtown Calgary building
Posted Nov 14, 2023 10:12 am.
Last Updated Nov 14, 2023 10:33 am.
Fires crews are on scene downtown Tuesday morning after a fire broke out in a vacant two-storey building.
Calgary Fire District 2 Chief Gordon Best told CityNews crews were called around 9 a.m. for reports of smoke coming from 625 4 Avenue SW.
“When crews arrived, we found a vacant building with smoke showing from the second floor,” he explained. “Crews went in and extinguished two small fires that looked like they’d be started by people that had got into the building overnight.”
Once the fire was extinguished, crews began to investigate.
Best said this led firefighters to the roof, where they found two people who appeared to be living there.
He told CityNews that Calgary police were on the way to help with the situation.
The damage to the building isn’t extensive, though Best said this type of situation is an ongoing concern.
“The fires are throughout the building and you can tell people have been living in there and just trying to keep warm,” he said. “So we just have to make sure those fires aren’t extending into other parts of the building and causing damage.”
No businesses were affected by the blaze.
The road was temporarily closed to traffic.
