Man, dog found dead after Citadel-area fire in northwest Calgary
Battalion chief said man had safely evacuated, but re-entered home
Calgary fire confirmed Sunday that a man who was presumed dead after a blaze earlier in the week in northwest Calgary had died.
The fire on Friday engulfed two homes in the city's Citadel neighbourhood and damaged several others.
One dog was also found dead inside the home.
Alistair Robin, Battalion Chief of the Calgary Fire Department, said the man had safely self-evacuated prior to CFD arrival, but re-entered his home to try to put out the fire.
On Friday, the Calgary Fire Department said crews responded to a fire on the 800 block of Citadel Way. The flames appeared to have started in one home before spreading to the one next door.
CBC previously reported that the first firefighters on the scene found flames shooting out of the two homes and called for backup. Crews initially attacked the flames from the inside in order to search for anyone still in the homes.
As the fire continued to grow, firefighters called for more help. At one point, 25 fire vehicles were on the scene, officials say.
As conditions deteriorated inside the homes, crews retreated outside and attacked the blaze from the exterior, eventually knocking down the flames.
Both the home that originally caught fire and the one the flames spread to, sustained significant damage and are considered uninhabitable for the near future. The radiant heat also damaged a number of nearby homes.
Robin said investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.