Firefighters stretched hose lines from the alley into the back yard and started knocking back the fire when they discovered the gas line was damaged and further fueling the fire. Crews used a fog pattern to hold back the fire while they attempted to clamp the gas line. A clamp was applied which reduced the gas flow and ATCO gas attended to fully clamp and repair the gas line. No one was inside the house at the time of the fire, and damage was limited
to the exterior of the home. At around the same time additional fire crews were dispatched to a second house fire across the alley in the 0-100 block of Sunvalley Drive SE. Fire crews saw smoke coming from a second story window as two people escaped the home. Crews checked for extension and found fire in the walls and attic space. A ladder tower was set up to access the roof and upper exterior of the home. The fire was extinguished and a fire watch
crew remained on scene for several hours. Neighbours reported hearing extremely loud thunder and a bright flash immediately before the fires. No one was injured during the blazes.
Calgary, house fire, storm, thunder, bright flash, gas line, ATCO gas, Sunvalley Drive SE, firefighters, fire watch
Thunder again, just like always…
So the storm hit and then the gas line just… decided to break? That seems like a design flaw or something. Glad nobody was home though.
Wait I thought lightning sets fires not gas lines. Unless the bright flash was from transformers or whatever and it shorted the gas?? Kinda crazy they used a fog pattern too, like steam would stop a fire in walls and attic.
Man this is why I don’t trust thunderstorms. One loud boom and suddenly two houses are burning across the alley? I read somewhere storms can crack pipes, but isn’t that supposed to take longer than minutes? Also how do neighbors even hear the thunder and notice flash but not see the fire right away…