We heard sirens that sounded fairly close, but there were also some more in the distance. Then Max stopped eating to take note of the sirens; we looked out the window and sure enough the fire trucks were on our street. Some firefighters got out – with gear – and didn’t seem too concerned. Then I heard their radio and one of the guys saying they were wanted in the laneway. That’s when I knew it was real.
The above was the scene from our roof. Our hearts sank. We couldn’t tell for sure which house it was, but the street is filled with young families and with elderly people. And it was too close for comfort. After snapping a few pictures I headed downstairs to join the growing crowd.
It seems there was some sort of bbq mishap on the roof. After the owner finished with the bbq in the backyard – not sure if it was all shut off - he flicked a cigarette under the porch and the embers lit up the porch (CityTV), spreading upward and to the neighbouring house (CP24 story). At some point I do believe that the propane tank blew up as well. Fortunately, everybody got out of the house in short order, nobody was hurt. The damage to the house was extensive. As of this writing it still stood, the fire was out, but the work continues. Fire Command isn’t going anywhere yet. One neighbouring house apparently has notable damage, although I don’t know how notable. Not super serious, it would seem. The other neighbouring house seems to have minimal damage; fortunately that couple had moved into an apartment to make renovations easier – work that was supposed to start very soon.
It was wild to see the firefighters and police at work. They are a calm, cool and collected bunch. For them it’s probably just another fire. They know their jobs and they do them very well. For us it’s the story of the day, month, perhaps year.
And just to be absolutely clear, we’re all fine. We were never in any danger.
