Firefighters face propane hazard, lack of hydrants while battling blaze near Cumberland

Firefighters spent close to four hours battling a house fire in Ottawa’s east end overnight.

Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) responded to a Bungalow in the 3500 block of Old Montreal Road east of Cumberland shortly after 12 a.m. after a neighbour called 9-1-1.

The neighbour told dispatch a house on their street was on fire and that flames were shooting out of the roof.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find an attached garage fully engulfed in flames and confirmed the fire had spread to the home.

Firefighters faced some complications on scene, as there were commercial propane tanks located at the back of the home which was also located in an area of the city with no hydrants.

Tanker trucks were used to shuttle in water from a nearby water source.

One fire crews began extinguishing the flames while a secondary crew made their way inside the home to search for occupants and it was confirmed everyone had made it out safely.  

Shortly before 12:45 a.m., firefighters had to be evacuated from the home due to dangerous conditions inside.

Firefighters continued to fight the fire from outside and it was brought under control shortly before 4 a.m.

There are no reported injuries and a fire investigator is working to determine the cause.

Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) responded to a home on Old Montreal Road shortly after 12 a.m. on March 8. PHOTO: Jean Lalonde.