Storm-sparked fires damage two southeast Calgary homes

A fierce summer storm that hit Calgary on Tuesday night, June 25, sparked fires at two homes in southeast Calgary.

Fire crews were called just after 5 p.m. to a blaze in the 0-100 block of Sunmount Close SE. Firefighters found a fire at the back of a two-storey residential house and stretched hose lines from the alley into the backyard. They discovered the gas line was damaged and fueling the fire. Using a fog pattern to hold back the flames, crews applied a clamp to reduce gas flow while ATCO gas attended to fully repair the line. No one was inside the home, and damage was limited to the exterior.

At roughly the same time, fire crews were dispatched across the alley to a second house fire in the 0-100 block of Sunvalley Drive SE. Firefighters saw smoke coming from a second-storey window as two residents escaped. Crews found fire in the walls and attic space, set up a ladder tower to access the roof and upper exterior, and extinguished the blaze. A fire watch crew remained on scene for several hours.

Neighbours reported hearing extremely loud thunder and a bright flash immediately before the fires. No one was injured during either blaze.