House fire in Calgary’s NW leaves eight displaced

Eight people have been displaced after their home in northwest Calgary went up in flames Tuesday afternoon.

The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) says around 2:15 p.m., a call was made to 911 reporting a fire in the basement of a house in Panorama Hills NW.

The caller also said there were possibly four people — two adults and two kids — trapped in the basement.

CFD crews quickly knocked down the fire upon arrival and found no one was inside.

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, the department says.

However, fire damage to the basement and significant smoke damage through the rest of the house mean it is unlivable for the time being.

CFD fire investigators are working to find out where and how the fire started.

They don’t yet known whether or not there were working interconnected smoke alarms in the house.

Fire officials are reminding Calgarians to practice fire prevention basics with their family, including how to prevent fire, what to do in case of fire, and having proper fire safety equipment and a home escape plan.

Regular maintenance and testing of equipment like fire alarms is strongly recommended to make sure it works when needed.

They say in a typical home fire, you may have as little as two minutes to escape from the time the smoke alarm sounds and knowing how to use those minutes can make a lifesaving difference.