At least one person is dead after a fire in southeast Calgary early Friday.
According to Calgary EMS, the fire broke out just before 5:30 a.m. at a home on Douglas Ridge Green S.E.
Calgary Fire Department district chief Martin Keefe said fire crews were met with heavy smoke when they arrived, and structural damage to things like stairways prevented them from entering.
“They went to an aggressive exterior attack, so not interior, and they laddered the building and were able to gain some access to the upstairs, where one deceased person was found,” Keefe told Global News.
The victim was declared dead at the scene.
Keefe said the fire was “suspicious in nature” and, paired with the death, Calgary police are investigating in cooperation with fire and arson investigators. He said the instability of the building was expected to hamper the process.
Calgary Police Service told Global News it’s believed at least one body is in the home.
In an afternoon press release, CPS confirmed an autopsy on the body found in the home is expected on Feb. 22.
“At this time, given the circumstances surrounding the nature of this event, the death is considered suspicious,” the release said.
In a news release issued Friday night, the CPS said investigators are still trying to piece together what happened before the fire broke out, “and are looking to locate two vehicles believed to be associated with the residence.”
“The first vehicle is a grey 2009 Chevrolet Colorado with a LOK Energy Services Inc. company logo on the driver’s side rear quarter panel, and the second is a black 2015 Kia Sportage.”
Click here to see images of the vehicles. The CPS noted the image of the Sportage is a stock photo.
Anyone with information about the vehicles or their whereabouts is asked to call the police at 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers.
Neighbouring homes had to be evacuated.
Peter Lochmueller lives nearby and said he was woken up by the sirens.
“And all the lights and everything else and all the commotion,” said Lochmueller. “Had a look out, there was a lot of smoke and it smelled terrible at that time so we knew something bad happened. But we did see some people led out and our hope was that everyone was OK, so this is not good news.”
Kara Lussier knew something was wrong when she looked out the window and saw the lights from several fire trucks.
“We came out and there’s people on the driveway, trucks blocking all the driveways,” Lussier said. “At about 5:45 we saw them pull someone out from the upper window, down the ladder and then they’ve just been here, poking holes in the roof and trying to get it out since.”
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and investigators are on scene.
Keefe expected access to the neighbouring houses to reopen sometime Friday afternoon.
–with files from Adam Toy, Global News