‘He fought to his very last breath’: Man who died in Calgary house fire remembered as a hero

The man killed in a Calgary house fire on Monday died after rescuing his loved ones.

Family say Mark Patriquin saved his brother, wife and their two dogs before passing away due to his injuries.

“He fought to his very last breath to save them and will always be remembered as a hero,” they said.

The 62-year-old’s wife, Charlene Patriquin, was sent to Edmonton in critical condition for treatment in a hyperbaric chamber.

On Tuesday, she was transferred back to Calgary and is on a ventilator, in critical but stable condition and showing signs of improvement.

On Monday, an early morning fire destroyed the Falconridge home the couple had lived in for 25 years.

Mark’s brother, Mike Patriquin, was also in the home but is uninjured, and while mourning his brother, he is looking for a permanent housing solution.

Mark and Mike are originally from Nova Scotia.

Mark spent most of his life working in the oilfield and spent many years overseas working on offshore drilling rigs.

Charlene is originally from Dodsland, Sask., and works as a teacher’s aide in the cosmetology department at Father Lacombe High School in Calgary.

Loved ones started a fundraising campaign to help cover the costs of food, medicine, clothing and housing for Charlene and Mike.