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03-01-2011, 12:13 AM
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,797
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Way too close for comfort
I get a call at work at 4:30. My wife tells me a house is on fire on our street (heard it on the radio). I left work a little early to check on things.
I pull onto my street to find one house destroyed (2 houses down) and the houses on either side of the main one both heavily damaged. Mine was the 4th to be damaged, minor siding damage and possible roof and gutter damage plus whatever else we didn't see. It's the yellow one to the left (if looking from the street) of the destroyed houses.
Most importantly, both of us are completely OK, no injuries or anything as we were both at work when it happened.
Here are some pictures that I took and a link to the Calgary Herald article with more pics.
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/al....html?tab=PHOT
We are lucky to have escaped with relatively minor damage. We still have each other and our roof over our head tonight.
The firefighters told me that they thought they were going to lose our house when they first arrived. We’re very thankful to them that they worked so hard to save our house. I owe a huge thanks to the men and women of the Calgary Fire Department, EMS, and Police Service for saving my house and allowing me to sleep in my own bed tonight, safe, with my wife. To guys like Ken07AOVette, Camshaft, and others who put themselves on the line every time they go to work, Thank You. My Godfather is a fire chief back home and I know the sacrifice and dedication it takes (and the unpleasant parts of the job as well). Your service to the community is greatly appreciated. (Sorry, don't know anyone else by name...)
No word on the cause of the fire yet.
Google Street View of the houses before the fire:
Aftermath:
My House is the yellow one on the left:
From the Back:
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03-01-2011, 12:26 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: cowtown
Posts: 6,653
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good to hear buddy...great news your family is safe. Prayers everyone isnt harmed either.
if you need anything call....if you need siding help i gots a kitchen hammer i can borrow from the wife.
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03-01-2011, 12:50 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Airdrie Alberta
Posts: 2,811
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A siding party man. Sounds like a hangover to me Im in Adam..
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03-01-2011, 04:31 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Whitecourt AB
Posts: 3,867
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It happens all the time and yet people line up to buy houses that almost touch each other.. I dont get it at all.
If my neighbor is naked i want to need my binoculars to know. lol
Glad you and your family are all okay.
__________________
"........In person people are nice, because you can punch them in person. Online they're not nice because you cant."
—Jimmy Kimmel
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03-01-2011, 06:39 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 9,599
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Glad to hear you and your family are safe.
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03-01-2011, 06:48 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Montreal
Posts: 1,755
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Wow pretty harrowing. How well do you know your neighbours? Nobody was hurt, I hope?
And I agree: I'm glad you and yours were spared. Losing everything would be awful; losing everything in the middle of winter would be even worse.
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roadkill
Probably the only English-speaking, French-Canadian lefty greeniac in Montréal with a 2008 Winchester M70 in .270. Probably.
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03-01-2011, 07:09 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,144
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deanmc
It happens all the time and yet people line up to buy houses that almost touch each other.. I dont get it at all.
If my neighbor is naked i want to need my binoculars to know. lol
Glad you and your family are all okay.
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X2 first off I'm glad to hear that everybody is okay.
Secondly I'm with you on the houses being too close together dean. I've worked in areas where the houses are so close that I can stretch out my arms and be touching both houses at the same time...don't tell me that's not a bad idea.
The developers are too greedy, and if they can make the lots just a bit narrower and cram one more on to each block so they make another $300k they'll do it without batting an eye.
I'm still waiting to see what's going to happen when one of the Jayman houses they were building a few years ago in Edmonton with their STYROFOAM wall system catches fire...
__________________
Jay: Mostly harmless...
Time, it makes you old. Experience makes you wise. It's only a fool who judges life by what he sees in other peoples' eyes.
- Strung Out
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
- Douglas Adams
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03-01-2011, 07:15 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 12,770
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Glad you guys and your possessions are ok Adam.
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Dinos
681
Shove your masks and your vaccines
Non Compliance!!!!!!
"According to Trudeau, Im an extremist who needs to be dealt with"
#Trudeau must go
Wheres The Funds
The vaccine was not brought in for COVID. COVID was brought in for the vaccine. Once you realize that, everything else makes sense.” ~ Dr. Reiner Fuellmich
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03-01-2011, 08:07 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 16,986
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Wow what a Nightmare. Glad you guys are ok.
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Alberta Bigbore
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03-01-2011, 09:19 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: On a farm
Posts: 1,572
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Way too close !!! Good to hear all is well, but a few minor issues ! Big thanks to the fire dept. again !
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Living for the adventure, enjoying the ride ! BRAD
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03-01-2011, 10:19 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,904
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Glad to hear you guys are ok Adam. Way to close for sure!!
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A wise fellow once told me "Stop playing with it so much, or it might fall off!"
I still lose bait that way.
UPS will fondle your animals!!
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03-01-2011, 10:30 AM
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,797
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Thanks guys.
The house where it originated had only one person in it, she was injured when she jumped out.
The guys next to me are in India and are on their way home.
The third house with the heavy siding damage, I believe they were not home as well and there may be smoke damage so they are not living there at the time being.
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03-01-2011, 10:46 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NW Cowgry
Posts: 1,254
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I do roofing if you need it.
Glad everyone is OK.
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03-01-2011, 10:57 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Alberta
Posts: 24,071
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Omg we love that foam. Kudos to the fire teams, and very glad everyone is ok.
And, thank you.
Side note- people wonder why houses so close together are a bad idea....
Is there anything I can send to the families? Clothes, toys, pots and pans, blankets etc?
__________________
Only dead fish go with the flow. The rest use their brains in life.
Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck
I wasn't thinking far enough ahead for an outcome, I was ranting. By definition, a rant doesn't imply much forethought.....
Last edited by Ken07AOVette; 03-01-2011 at 11:03 AM.
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03-01-2011, 11:11 AM
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,797
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Ken, when I talk to the inspector I'll ask him. To be honest I am not very familiar with the neighbors as there is a language barrier. I do know both families with the destroyed houses have family and friends in town so at least they have places to stay and some support.
Unfortunately if you live in the city and want a newer home, there's not much a guy can do about the spacing between the houses. My house is 10 years old. My friend has a 2 year old house in Auburn Bay that I swear is no more than 4 feet away from his neighbours...
Stucco siding would help but the roof will still ignite.
Can't afford an acreage (yet).
In a situation like this it all comes down to luck. Bad luck that the fire was so close, good luck that we didn't lose everything.
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03-01-2011, 11:26 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: cowtown
Posts: 6,653
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iliketrout
Ken, when I talk to the inspector I'll ask him. To be honest I am not very familiar with the neighbors as there is a language barrier. I do know both families with the destroyed houses have family and friends in town so at least they have places to stay and some support.
Unfortunately if you live in the city and want a newer home, there's not much a guy can do about the spacing between the houses. My house is 10 years old. My friend has a 2 year old house in Auburn Bay that I swear is no more than 4 feet away from his neighbours...
Stucco siding would help but the roof will still ignite.
Can't afford an acreage (yet).
In a situation like this it all comes down to luck. Bad luck that the fire was so close, good luck that we didn't lose everything.
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yup them the sad facts.
i picked my home for 2 reasons....had to stay in city till last kid left for post secondary
and i needed to be near the highway that took me to the place i love
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03-01-2011, 12:29 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,194
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I dug a lot of basements in Calgary and they put them 4' from the property line.
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"The most important rule in a gunfight is: Always win and cheat if necessary".
If you find yourself in a fair fight your tactics suck.
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03-01-2011, 01:09 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,269
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Scary. Any smoke damage to the inside of your home?
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03-01-2011, 02:51 PM
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,797
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No smoke or water damage. Insurance adjuster just left though. We're getting 100% new siding and likely a new roof.
Shaggy thanks for the offer, but I am going with the insurance company's preferred contractor. That way I don't have to deal with any of the money.
jts - looks like the siding party will have to turn into just a party! I'll make sure you get nice and hungover!
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03-01-2011, 02:56 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: cowtown
Posts: 6,653
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iliketrout
No smoke or water damage. Insurance adjuster just left though. We're getting 100% new siding and likely a new roof.
Shaggy thanks for the offer, but I am going with the insurance company's preferred contractor. That way I don't have to deal with any of the money.
jts - looks like the siding party will have to turn into just a party! I'll make sure you get nice and hungover!
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get yellow siding with vertical bars....make it look like a walleye
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03-01-2011, 03:23 PM
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,797
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chubbdarter
get yellow siding with vertical bars....make it look like a walleye
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No way then you'd be over all the time trying to get my house to bite.
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03-01-2011, 04:31 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 11,576
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Man oh man, that is too darn close for comfort. Real glad it turned out in your favour ILT, a huge kudos to the fire crews for keeping it contained under tough conditions.
From the pics, you can easily tell the direction the wind was taking that blaze and you were next.
A pal of mine was one the Citadel fire last December that took 6 homes. When they first rolled on scene they thought that containing it to a loss of 20 would be a minor miracle.
Hopefully everything works out for the other families who were not so fortunate.
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03-01-2011, 04:49 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: cowtown
Posts: 6,653
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iliketrout
No way then you'd be over all the time trying to get my house to bite.
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your such a PUDDLE
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03-01-2011, 04:56 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Alberta
Posts: 24,071
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chubbdarter
your such a PUDDLE
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LOL oh hell that is funny. I think we have new slang in the making here, the ultimate insult!
I may have just never heard that one, but I like it!
__________________
Only dead fish go with the flow. The rest use their brains in life.
Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck
I wasn't thinking far enough ahead for an outcome, I was ranting. By definition, a rant doesn't imply much forethought.....
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03-01-2011, 04:58 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: cowtown
Posts: 6,653
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette
LOL oh hell that is funny. I think we have new slang in the making here, the ultimate insult!
I may have just never heard that one, but I like it!
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he just texted me a insult.....but even his phone has more manners than he does and it typed puddle instead of ******
so its his new nickname....lol
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03-01-2011, 05:00 PM
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,797
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Haha yeah it stems from a recent text message that my phone decided to autocorrect. I'll give you a hint on the original word...look at what the "d" is next to on the keyboard and fill in the rest.
Although it is kind of ironic with all the puddles left from the water...
This is bad, I think this one is going to stick.
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03-01-2011, 05:02 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: cowtown
Posts: 6,653
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iliketrout
Haha yeah it stems from a recent text message that my phone decided to autocorrect. I'll give you a hint on the original word...look at what the "d" is next to on the keyboard and fill in the rest.
Although it is kind of ironic with all the puddles left from the water...
This is bad, I think this one is going to stick.
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your lucky im not a trouble maker......i'd c and p the whole text.....lol
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03-01-2011, 05:32 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 3,857
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Very glad you came out with the outcome that you did. It's a shame for the other famlies, especailly to return from a vacation abroad to a disaster.
So, when do you start looking for that acreage?
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IG: @gibsontilley
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03-01-2011, 06:41 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 757
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Glad all escaped unscathed. This reminds me... I need to get my renters insurance sorted out
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03-01-2011, 07:00 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Calgary
Posts: 905
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Geezle
X2 first off I'm glad to hear that everybody is okay.
Secondly I'm with you on the houses being too close together dean. I've worked in areas where the houses are so close that I can stretch out my arms and be touching both houses at the same time...don't tell me that's not a bad idea.
The developers are too greedy, and if they can make the lots just a bit narrower and cram one more on to each block so they make another $300k they'll do it without batting an eye.
I'm still waiting to see what's going to happen when one of the Jayman houses they were building a few years ago in Edmonton with their STYROFOAM wall system catches fire...
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That styrofoam has a built in fire retardant. It dosent burn. Those houses are also much warmer and much more quiet.
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