Extreme cold challenges crews at southeast Calgary house fire

Calgary fire crews had to contend with extremely cold weather Tuesday night as they knocked down a house fire in the southeast community of Lake Bonavista.

When firefighters arrived at the 500 block of Lake Moraine Green S.E. at about 7:15 p.m., flames were rising six metres above the rear of the house, officials said.

"Firefighters knocked the flames down from the outside, before making an aggressive interior attack," the fire department said in a release.

Two residents of the house got out safely and fire crews saved a pet reptile from the home.

Crews were able to contain most of the damage to the garage roof and the rear roof of the house.

With temperatures in the low minus 20s, crews needed to maintain water flow in all of the hose lines to keep them from freezing while they fought the fire.

Once the fire was out, heaters were used to thaw frozen hose couplings so that they could be detached and put away.

There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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