Early morning warehouse fire forces evacuation of Calgary hotel
CTV
An early morning fire at an abandoned warehouse on Seventh Avenue S.E. sent a massive plume of smoke into the air, engulfing the nearby Hilton Hotel in Calgary’s East Village.
An early morning fire at an abandoned warehouse on Seventh Avenue S.E. sent a massive plume of smoke into the air, engulfing the nearby Hilton Hotel in Calgary’s East Village.
First responders were called to the scene shortly after 3:15 a.m. to find flames and heavy smoke blanketing the building, with smoke blowing toward the nearby hotel.
“Crews quickly gained access and initiated an aggressive interior attack. Upon interior conditions changing, crews exited and worked hard to extinguish the flames and protect exposures from a defensive position,” the Calgary Fire Department said in a statement.
“At the time of this report, CFD is on scene working to fully extinguish the fire and initiate an investigation.”
The smoke from the fire set off the hotel's fire alarm, forcing guests out of the building at 3:30 a.m.
“My wife and I were fast asleep. All of a sudden, we heard the smoke alarm go off,” Aaron Getchell, one of the hotel guests told CTV News Wednesday.
Getchell said they first thought it was a test, but when they reached the stairway they knew something was wrong.