Firefighters contend with strong winds while battling large brush fire in Osgoode

Strong winds and a lack of fire hydrants were no match for Ottawa firefighters in Osgoode.

Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) responded to the 6000 block of Osgoode Main shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2 after several 9-1-1 calls reporting a brush fire the “size of a football field.”

Upon arrival, crews confirmed the large fire which was moving quickly due to strong winds.

Also, due to rough terrain, the fire service had to deploy its brush trucks and UTV to the scene.

A water shuttle system was also set up using tanker trucks from a nearby source as the fire was located in an area of the city with no hydrants.

Firefighters brought in chainsaws to cut down trees and move a hose line into multiple areas of the brush, while a drone was brought in to help identify hot spots.

The fire was declared under control around 3:40 p.m., a little over two hours after crews arrived, though fire crews stayed on scene until 5:30 p.m. extinguishing hot spots and monitoring for flare ups.