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Exploding propane tanks fuel northwest house fire

WATCH ABOVE: A Calgary family has lost their home after a devastating blaze was sparked by a fire in a nearby landscaping truck. Global’s Jill Croteau reports.

CALGARY – A house in the city’s northwest was completely gutted by a fire on Monday.

Crews were called to the 3000 block of 69th Street N.W. around 10:30 a.m. by a witness who spotted a truck on fire.

Firefighters say the vehicle was a tree-pruning truck which contained propane tanks that ignited and exploded, causing the flames to spread to a nearby house.

The vehicle had been trimming mature trees in the area at the time. The house was completely destroyed and a nearby garage was also damaged.

The remains of a truck which caught fire in northwest Calgary on Monday, July 20, 2015.

As the area was not serviced by hydrants, crews had to bring in additional tankers to fight the quick-moving fire.

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Global News spoke with the homeowner and her husband, who were visibly shaken by the incident. They say they weren’t home when the fire broke out.

No injuries were reported.

The fire caused the temporary shutdown of Sarcee Trail, and left plumes of thick black smoke visible throughout the city.

Investigators were on scene Monday afternoon to determine the exact origin and cause.

 

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– With files from Sarah Offin and Erika Tucker

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