Investigators are at the scene of a fire that broke out Monday night at a building in northwest Calgary that houses two restaurants.
Nobody was in the building when the blaze began, according to the Calgary Fire Department.
The CFD said someone called 911 just after 10 p.m. after they saw smoke emerging from the roof of a building in the 200 block of 10th Street Northwest. The building is home to two restaurants: Fusion Sushi and Osteria.
“Due to the large volume of smoke on arrival and growing fire conditions on the roof of the structure, responding crews called a working fire and a second alarm,” the CFD said in a news release. “Crews began an attack on the fire from both inside and outside the structure while conducting a search of the premises.
“Ladder trucks were used to safely gain access to the roof where firefighting efforts were focused and brought the fire under control.”
The CFD said an investigation has yet to reveal how the fire started.
A Calgary Police Service spokesperson confirmed to Global News the fire was not suspicious.
Jessica Karpat of QuantumPlace Developments, a real estate development firm, said the damage is isolated to the area above the Fusion Sushi side of the building and plans are being made to rebuild the roof of the building.
“The restaurant has been long established in the community and has a special place in the hearts of many. Plans are already in motion, and the rebuilding process will begin as soon as possible,” Karpat said in an emailed statement to Global News.
“The landlord and owners would like to express their gratitude to the community for their support during this challenging time. Everyone is motivated to reopen their doors as soon as possible and continue serving the community again.”
Caelen Haney, owner of Gummi Boutique Candy Store, said he wasn’t worried about the fire spreading despite his candy store being right next door. He told Global News he is concerned about the loss of business Fusion Sushi and Osteria will experience.
“You’re getting in bed, you do a little social media scroll in the evening, and you see that the building next to your store is on fire. It’s a little concerning, for sure,” he told Global News.
“It’s a tough time of year, especially for restaurants. We got Valentine’s Day tomorrow. That’s going to be tough for both restaurants in that location … It’s been a tough time for us already, just with the economic downturn.”
Raghu Uddandi of Bombay Tiger witnessed the fire and told Global News it took one hour for fire crews to get it under control. The whole street was blocked off and dozens of firefighters were helping to fight the blaze, he said.
“We were watching the fire and we were taking pictures and some videos … Luckily the fire team came and they got control of the fire.”