Two bystanders jumped in to perform CPR on a woman caught in a house fire in southwest Calgary early Monday, the city fire department says.
CFD battalion chief Bruce Barrs says crews were dispatched to a building fire in the 2700 block of 16 Avenue SW at around 1:20 a.m.
He explains that a single-family home was found with smoke billowing from an open door, with the fire coming from a basement suite.
But before crews worked to douse the flames, they found two bystanders performing CPR on a woman from that residence.
“That patient was transported to the Foothills Hospital by EHS, and we heard that she had regained respirations and started breathing en route,” Barrs explained.
Fire crews also rescued a dog from inside the home, but another dog inside was found dead.
Meanwhile, Barrs says the bystanders stepping in to help provided a strong chance for her survival.
“When we arrive on scene like that, and that sort of life-saving care is being provided already by bystanders. Yeah … we don’t often see that,” he said. “But when we do see that, it’s obviously powerful, and it’s giving the patient the best chance of survival.”
An investigation into the cause is underway.
With files from Phil Wood