Fire crews battle blaze at building under construction in Sunalta

Firefighters battled a large blaze at a building under construction in the southwest community of Sunaltaon Monday evening.

Emergency crews were called to 15th Street and 16th Avenue S.W. just before 8 p.m. where they found a multi-family building under construction fully engulfed.

Smoke and flames could be seen from several blocks away.

Brandon Sadler and Nadia Hamilton were watching a movie in their home just a couple doors down from where thefire erupted when they noticed the colours on the walls changing.

At first they thought it was the sun being reflected through clouds, but seconds later theyheard her father yelling it was a fire and to get out.

"We booked it outside and it was really, really hot, you could feel the fire on your face," she said. "People were banging on the neighbour's doors making sure everyone got out. There were people still in the apartments just beside the construction where the fire [started]. Families were coming out with children."

Sadler said flames were shooting about 10 metres into the sky.

Buildings on either side were also damaged.

About two dozen people were evacuated from neighbouring buildings and two fire investigators were called in.

"It's pretty extensive damage," saidBattalionChief Harley Spate.

• MORE CALGARY NEWS|Police identify man killed in weekend shooting in southeast Calgary
• MORE CALGARY NEWS|Victim of random C-Train attack a Nigerian nursing student and father of 3