Update: Child in hospital, schools evacuated as fire continues at Stadium Shopping Centre

At least four businesses have been destroyed by fire that continued to burn more than five hours after crews were called to the scene, where plumes of black smoke have deteriorated air quality, sending one child from an area school to hospital.

Crews were called to the Stadium Shopping Centre in the 1900 block of Uxbridge Drive N.W. around 7:20 a.m. after a passerby spotted smoke and flames and called 911, said fire spokeswoman Carol Henke.

Members of the Calgary Fire Department worked to extinguish a two alarm fire at the Stadium Shopping Centre on November 12, 2015.

Crews were initially battling flames at Billingsgate Seafood Market and Restaurant, and Hi-Ball Restaurant, but the fire later spread to the Cat House pet store and Saigon Star, a vietnamese restaurant. The businesses were gutted by fire.

David Phui, whose father owns Hi-Ball, said the Chinese restaurant has been in the family for 20 years, since he was 12 years old. All five members of the family have worked there over the years, sharing a generation of memories in a building now torn asunder.

“It’s devastating, seeing it go up in flames like that, and you can’t do anything about it,” Phui said.

When fire crews arrived, they were confronted with a significant amount of smoke, forcing them to call a second alarm to bring in more crews and trucks.

“The fire is quite stubborn,” Henke said Thursday morning.

Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen and smelled from Deerfoot Trail in northeast Calgary Thursday morning. The fire continued to burn into the afternoon.

An area school, University Elementary, was evacuated due to deteriorating air quality. Two students were assessed by paramedics, including a six-year-old student who was taken to hospital in stable condition with minor respiratory concerns. The other child was released to the care of parents.

Another school, Westmount Charter School, was also evacuated, though classes were not in session. Construction crews who were working at the facility were asked to leave.

“The air quality remains very, very poor in the area,” said Stuart Brideaux, spokesman for Calgary EMS. “Generally (the wind) has been blowing off to the south, or southeast; however it has shifted several times, causing the air quality in the entire area to be quite poor.”

Brideaux suggested that Calgarians should avoid the area, if possible, especially if they have underlying respiratory concerns, due to the smoky air.

The cause and origin of the fire are still under investigation.

Crews battled flames ripping through the strip mall from above and below, using multiple aerials and thermal imaging cameras to detect the hottest points within the building, Henke said.

Members of the Calgary Fire Department worked to extinguish a two alarm fire at the Stadium Shopping Centre on November 12, 2015.

“It’s an older building,” Henke said, explaining why the fire has been so stubborn. “There’s been numerous renovations over the years so there’s a lot of void spaces that the fire can travel through, and getting to those void spaces can be difficult.”

Henry Wegiel, owner of the nearby Cat House, said firefighters rescued two felines from the business early on and they are recovering at a friend’s house. Wegiel said he wasn’t sure if the entire store was a write-off, though he speculated it might be, given a great extent of water and smoke damage.

“Our business has been open since ’91,” Wegiel said. “It’s sort of strange now to figure out whats going to happen.”

The Stadium Shopping Centre has been slated for redevelopment. Wegiel said he has been looking for other locations in the past year or so, but nothing he’s seen has appealed to him.

“For all these businesses, unfortunately, in this economic time, it’s going to be tough on all of them now,” said Coun. Ward Sutherland, who represents the area. “They will have insurance and that but nevertheless for the residents of University Heights now, they’re going to have to go elsewhere for amenities and certain things now.”

Police are diverting traffic in the area.