Crews battle house fire in Coventry Hills in northeast Calgary

Crews battled a major residential fire that destroyed one house and damaged three others in thenortheast Calgary community of Coventry Hills on Monday.

The fire gutted ahouse at 12851 Coventry Hills Way N.E., which wasfully engulfed when crews first arrived shortly after 10:30 a.m., Calgary Fire Department spokesperson Carol Henke said.

"They upgraded to a second alarm immediately just due to the volume of fire that was present," she said.

There were no injuries. The fire, which alsobadly damaged the houses on either side, was brought under control by about 11:30 a.m. The siding on a fourth house was also damaged.

Tina Harding was in the house next door when she heard a crackling sound, and stepped outside to see flames climbing herneighbour's house, she said.

She called 911 and got her neighbours out.

Harding says she and her husband are somewhat lucky their possessions were safely locked in a storage box, since they were just about finished moving out. However,the renters who were coming on Monday to move in are now displaced, she said.

But Harding says she's relieved that no one was injured.

"Everybody's OK, so I'm fine," she said.

"I'm in shock. It is what it is."

People in 29 neighbouring homes had to evacuate their residences because of concerns over a breached gas line. They were allowed to return to their homes when the gas was shut off.

Fire crews remained at the scene putting out hot spots into the afternoon. The cause of the fire is under investigation.