Adolf Amexaw returned to the charred remains of his Memorial Drive NW home yesterday morning to salvage pieces of preserved letters and other valuables from the rubble.
A three-alarm fire that officials said originated in the basement ripped through the four-storey complex Saturday night. Firefighters spent hours containing the blaze, then demolished the remaining structure. The cost of damages is unknown.
“We had several collapses,” explained Jeff Budai of the Calgary Fire Department. “Once you reach a certain point, it poses a safety hazard if you were to leave it standing.”
Though the origin of the blaze is known, fire investigators have not been able to identify the fire’s cause.
The fire department said all occupants were accounted for and neither firefighters nor tenants were injured in the blaze.
Heat prevented firefighters from reaching the basement at the time of the blaze, Budai said. However, investigators will today begin cleaning up the debris and continue the investigation once they are able to gain access to the point of origin. Any valuables uncovered at the site is cleared will be returned to the occupants.
