By Natalie Sit
A resident in U of C’s family housing extinguished a fire, preventing the fire from spreading to other buildings.
On the afternoon of Thu., July 24, a fire broke out in the kitchen at 505 Jackson Place NW. Investigators pointed to a deep fryer as the cause of the fire, which caused $3,000 in damage. No one was injured.
According to University of Calgary Manager of Family Housing John Moersch, the mother was cooking while the father and children were upstairs. When she called for help, the father grabbed the extinguisher.
"Had he not used the fire extinguisher, the fire would not be contained," said Moersch. "The fire trucks were hung up in construction."
The delay was due to a water main replacement, connected to construction on West Campus, which blocked access to the house. Moersch believes the fire didn’t spread as a result of the tenant’s actions and the materials used in the house.
He points to this situation as a reason to have insurance.
"It reinforces for students it’s $15 a month [for insurance]," said Moersch. "That’s not expensive. You pay less than $300 a year and you pay more for your TV."