The ramshackle appearance of most new western communities reflected the hasty and unplanned character of their creation. Given the frame shanty construction of most buildings, fire was an ever-present danger and figured prominently in the early history of many western towns and cities. This fire struck Calgary on November 5, 1886. Although eventually brought under control, the fire threatened the entire settlement (note the street piled with evacuated belongings) and destroyed sixteen of the town's better buildings, including four stores, three warehouses, one tinsmithy, and a saloon. Such disasters served as a catalyst for civic reform, particularly the creation of a professional fire department. It has been suggested that the main impetus behind the movement to incorporate Calgary in 1884 was a desire to secure a fire-fighting service and a consequent reduction in exorbitant fire insurance rates In Calgary's case, fire also brought a marked change in subsequent commercial architecture. Locally quarried sandstone now became the preferred commercial building material.
