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A small fire at a seniors apartment complex Thursday afternoon left a handful of occupants needing treatment for smoke inhalation, two residents said.
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Four people were sent to hospital for treatment following the fire at Mountview Apartments, 710 16 Ave. N.E. — a complex operated by Silvera for Seniors that houses close to 100 seniors.
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Norm, 79, a resident at the complex, said he believed the fire started just before 3 p.m. on the third floor due to an occupant forgetting something on a stove. He said there was smoke coming out of the window of that unit. Fire officials said the cause of the incident was under investigation.
Another resident — Ed, 70 — said he’d only ever seen something like this on TV.
“It’s an eye-opener,” said Ed. “I’m pretty mobile . . . I’m one of the lucky ones, but not everybody in there is that mobile. It’s kind of worrisome, but everybody got out OK, so that’s the main thing.
“When I opened the door to look out to see if I could smell smoke or whatever . . . I could see the smoke rising up the side of the building,” he said. “(I thought), ‘time to get out’ . . . It’s not something that you want to ever experience.”
The fire caused traffic tangles as commuters made their way home in the late afternoon. The exit from Deerfoot Trail to westbound 16th Avenue was blocked off to keep the street clear for firefighting efforts.
The Calgary Fire Department was continuing its work on the scene into Thursday evening.
