Many people living in the Calgary condo building at the 1400 block of 23 Avenue S.W. left everything behind when a fire broke out Friday at 4:30 p.m.
On Saturday morning, some got a chance to retrieve a few belongings from the Bankview building.
Paul Woodman’s place is below where the fire broke out. He has been told to expect extensive water and smoke damage.
“Within 10 minutes, the whole roof was engulfed in flames,” he said, “and we watched for three hours from the other side of the road as it went back and forth across the roof.”
Firefighters worked through the night and the fire was finally called under control early Saturday morning. The Calgary Fire Department said the blaze significantly damaged the five-storey, 56-unit building. No injuries were reported as a result of the three-alarm fire.
Robin Malhodra was on his way home Friday afternoon after picking up his daughter at school when he saw the flames shooting out from the roof of his building.
“It was all chaos. I had no clue what was happening, what’s going on or what to do. It was a panic situation for me,” said Malhodra on Saturday.
Brett Taylor owns Red Tree projects. His Calgary homebuilding company owns two houses in Bankview that have been sitting vacant. Construction on new units was supposed to start in September but like other projects in Calgary, it has been delayed.
“It’s tough out there. Everybody’s in the same boat,” Taylor said.
“Unfortunately, people are so unsure about where their next job is going to come from or if they will be employed in 2020. Everything got bumped back with the economy and who knows when it’s going to turn back around.”
When Taylor heard about the Bankview fire, he put up a notice on social media offering fire victims places to stay.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Taylor said.
“The first thing I thought of is what is going to happen to them over the holidays? I have a wife and four kids. Our Christmas tree is set up and presents are underneath, and I just couldn’t imagine them losing all of that.”
Malhodra, his wife and two kids didn’t have a home to return to Friday night because of the fire — but now they do. They’ll be staying at one of Taylor’s homes for free for at least two months if they need to.
“I saw his number and I called him up and he was kind and generous. With his gesture, I think that humanity still exists and there are good people in this world,” Malhodra said.
For Taylor, it’s about being able to take a couple of bad scenarios — a fire and a delayed project — and turn it into something positive.
Another family of four and two roommates who were displaced will also be getting a place to stay at his vacant homes.
“We are blessed. I was talking to my wife this morning and I said it’s amazing that we have this opportunity to be able to give this to other people,” Taylor said.
“It’s not often you can be in that position and the timing works out.”
The CFD said it’s unknown when people can move back in. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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