In Calgary, a recent string of house fires has people thinking about fire safety in the home.

Carol Henke, public information officer with the Calgary Fire Department, says kitchen fires are the most common residential call for the fire department, “and often it’s because people leave their cooking unattended.”

She says someone will put oil in a pan to heat up, and once the oil reaches its ignition temperature, it bursts into flames.

People often make things worse by trying to carry the pan out of the house, risking burns and potentially spreading the fire if they panic and drop the pan.

In this situation, Henke says you should put a cover on the pan of burning oil and turn off the heat. If flames have spread out of control, get everyone out of the house and call 911.

The most common cause of outdoor fires is improper disposal of smoking materials, according to Henke.

People often put out cigarettes in planter pots or combustible containers, or ones that are metal, but which have so many cigarette butts in them they can catch fire.

If something does cause a fire in your home, Henke says “having working smoke alarms on every level is what is going to alert you to the fact there is a fire.”

The way new homes are built has changed for the better when it comes to fire safety.

After an Edmonton fire in 2007 started in a four-unit condo complex, eventually destroying 18 nearby townhomes and damaging 70 houses, the province updated building, fire and electrical codes.

Rick Gratton, senior development manager of Calgary Homes for Brookfield Residential, says many of the changes relate to spatial separation.

Gratton says depending on how close the exterior of a house will be to the property line, there are limits on the number of side windows it can have, since openings in the walls allow fire to spread to an adjacent home more easily.

Gratton says tightly spaced homes also require increased use of fire-resistant sheeting and cladding. The codes even dictate materials needed during the construction phase, because partially built homes are especially susceptible to fire damage.

He says soffits are now required to be closed in to prevent fire from spreading into attics, and attached garages must be drywalled inside.

For more information, visit www.calgary.ca/fire.

Author: Gerald Vander Pyl

In addition to the streets, sidewalks and skyscrapers that define most large cities, Calgary is blessed with enough parks and natural spaces to leave other major centres green with envy.

“It’s very important to have a variety of open spaces for relief from urban living, whether it’s pathways for exercise, parks with playgrounds or just a place to kick a soccer ball,” said Travis Shaw, planning and development lead with Calgary Parks.

Given the proven health benefits of exposure to trees and natural areas, and the impact on quality of life, the City of Calgary has made these areas a top priority. Currently, Calgary boasts 8,310 hectares of open space. It breaks down to 6.7 hectares of all types of space per thousand residents, and 3.2 hectares of mowed and manicured park space per thousand residents. The goal is for everyone to be within 400 metres of open space, and that is currently the case for 99.5 per cent of Calgarians.

“CALGARY IS BLESSED WITH OUTSTANDING RIVER VALLEY PATHWAYS AND ABUNDANT OPEN SPACES, WHICH ARE ONE OF THE JEWELS OF THE CITY.” – TRAVIS SHAW, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT LEAD WITH CALGARY PARKS

When there are deficiencies, such as in inner-city neighborhoods where the population is growing faster than the City’s parks budget, the focus is on making the most of what’s available.

“In those instances, we try and have higher-quality park spaces, rather than just big open fields,” said Shaw. “We want those areas to work harder for us so they meet the needs of the community.”

Especially in new communities, Calgary Parks aims to provide different experiences for different users.

“Often, we see smaller parks, but as part of an interconnected pathway system, which is one of the most extensive systems in North America,” said Shaw. “We also like to build on natural features of a given area – such as wetlands, creeks or escarpments – to contribute to a sense of understanding about where we exist in the landscape that was there prior to development.”

Naturally, the effort to maximize open spaces must consider a range of users and perspectives.

“Calgary is blessed with outstanding river valley pathways and abundant open spaces, which are one of the jewels of the city,” said Shaw. “They’re important from a visual standpoint and serve as an integral piece of the puzzle in maintaining a healthy, vibrant city. At the same time, we must ensure we have enough schools and playing fields for other users. It’s a delicate balancing act, but I think we do a pretty good job of it.”

Author: Geoff Geddes