Five people are dead following an early-morning house fire in Calgary, firefighters say.
The blaze broke out at approximately 1:20 a.m. on Saturday at a residence located in the northeast end of the city.
Calgary Fire chief Steve Dongworth said the home was engulfed by the time crews arrived and that the fire had spread to a neighbouring home.
"When crews arrived, there's actually a swing set in the front yard, and the first thing our crews were thinking was that there might have been children in there as well," Dongworth said. "In this case, we don't believe there's any children.”
Dongworth told reporters on Saturday that all of the victims are believed to be adult males. The fire chief did not provide any information on their identities.
The cause of the fire has not been released.
A large number of Calgary firefighters are helping battle the wildfires in Fort McMurray that have displaced more than 80,000 residents and destroyed thousands of homes.
But Dongworth said his department’s ability to respond to fires in Calgary has not been affected.
With files from The Canadian Press
