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Explosion rocks Calgary community

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – Several residents in Douglas Glen were jolted awake shortly before 4:30 a.m. Sunday by a loud bang, followed by smoke and flames shooting into the sky.

“When our crews arrived one house was fully involved, immediately they called for a second alarm for additional resources, fire already was spreading to a neighbouring home,” said Carol Henke, public information officer with the Calgary Fire Department who added the initial calls came in reporting a potential explosion.

“There were flames shooting up, there was an orange glow in the sky,” neighbour Renee said. “Within 10 minutes that house was gone and the two on each side were in flames.”

Renee described a very scary situation to see nearly a dozen fire trucks on scene trying to tame the inferno. “The wind has died down and thank God because they had trouble containing it.”

Christian Robinson also lives nearby and said when the explosion happened, his bed shook.

“I thought someone was in my house and had kicked my bed or something,” he recalled. “I looked out and there was a bright orange glow… I could see the flames overtop the houses.”

He said it was very nervewracking and he was concerned more houses would go up in smoke.

“I wondered, ‘Should I get my stuff ready and get in my car’ [to evacuate].'”

Shirley walked 660 NEWS through a similar story–she said she, among others, was looking around to figure out what had happened. “We heard a big boom and our windows shook and our house shook.

“About an hour later we could smell the smoke and gas. It was really bad until about 11 a.m.”

A charred carcass is all that’s left of the home where crews believe the fire started. The destruction is so extreme firefighters have not been able to search the house for any occupants that may have been inside at the time of the incident.

One neighbouring home sustained severe damage due to the explosion and subsequent fire. Damage to other homes includes broken windows and melted siding.

Five homes were evacuated and Henke said they asked Calgary Transit to supply two transit buses to shelter the evacuees from the cold weather.

-with files from Jenna Hamilton, Ian Campbell

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