At least four homes were damaged by a fire in the community of Nolan Hill on Thursday, the Calgary Fire Department said.
Firefighters were called to the 100 block of Nolanfield Lane Northwest at around 4 a.m.
Firefighters arrived to find thick black smoke and a two-storey house engulfed in flames.
Neighbour Jairece Morgan described sitting in his kitchen eating food when he realized a fire had started nearby.
“I hear banging on the window… I look out, I don’t see anybody but I smell smoke. I hear sirens coming. I run up to the neighbour’s house and starting knocking on doors and I get in my car – start honking my horn and waking people up,” Morgan said.
“The fire department arrives and they’re here putting out the fire almost instantly – but it came out of nowhere.”
Crews set up hoses and used a water tower to douse the flames.
In a news release, the CFD said two homes suffered “significant” damage and two additional homes suffered “minor” damage.
Battalion chief Bruce Barrs told Global News wind direction and speed played a factor in helping the fire spread.
“I was actually pretty scared because I saw it was actually pretty windy,” Morgan said. “We were terrified that it was going to get all of our houses.”
No one was in the home where the fire originated, the CFD said. Neighbours told Global News the residents were in the process of moving out.
All the residents in neighbouring homes got out safely on their own or with the assistance of Calgary police. In total, the CFD said some 50 people were evacuated.
The house where the fire originated was completely gutted by the blaze, and the CFD said one other home was damaged badly enough that the residents will be displaced for now.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The fire department is asking anyone with photos, video, or information on the fire, especially prior to CFD arriving on scene, to email piofire@calgary.ca.