Apartment fire in southwest Calgary leads to arson charge

A man has been charged with arson after a fire gutted a suite and caused the evacuation of a southwest Calgary apartment building.

The 35-year-old man has been charged with arson in connection to the blaze in the four-storey building on the 800 block of GlenmoreTrail. He will appear in court on Monday.

• Apartment fire in southwest Calgary sparks arson investigation

"Following an investigation by the arson unit, it is believed a man intentionally set fire to a suite belonging to a woman living in the building," police said in a news release Thursday.

The fire started at about 4:30 a.m. MT Wednesday. By the time the fire crews arrived, flames were coming out of the balcony.

Crews evacuated the building, andsomeresidents hadto climb down ladders because the halls were too full of smoke.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to one apartment on the second floor and quickly brought it under control with a large volume hose.Calgary Transit buses were brought in to keep residents warm until they could return to the building.

One out of the 64 units in the building was gutted, while two others suffered minor damage. There was also some smoke damage in the hallways.One person was taken to hospital with undetermined injuries.