12 fires ravaged Ottawa in one week; firefighters respond
Posted Oct 14, 2024 11:52:07 AM.
Last Updated Oct 15, 2024 09:30:38 AM.
As the holiday weekend comes to an end, many are giving thanks to the services of Ottawa firefighters after a freak week left a dozen of buildings in a blaze across various parts of the city.
Five of the fires occurred in a 24-hour period over the weekend.
Late Saturday evening Ottawa Fire Services responded to multiple calls regarding a fire on the side of a low-rise residential building in Lowertown. Firefighters declared the blaze under control by 12:39 a.m. and prevented the flames from spreading to nearby buildings. But residents in the affected building, including a couple, their baby and two cats, are now displaced.
On Sunday morning firefighters responded to a fire engulfing a restaurant on Bank Street. Ottawa paramedics say one man was taken to hospital in stable condition. The fire, however, caused extensive damage to the business.
Shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday firefighters responded to two more calls, one in Somerset and the other in Findlay Creek.
Fire services were dispatched to a family home on Arlington Avenue to find heavy smoke protruding through the windows and bricks. Firefighters initiated a fast attack and searched the home for occupants. The fire was declared under control at 4:07 p.m. and victim services was dispatched to the scene.
Not an hour later, firefighters responded to smoke and flames coming from an attached two-car garage of a single-family home. No occupants were found inside and the fire was declared under control at 4:41 p.m. An Ottawa Fire Services Investigator was dispatched to the scene and a “fire watch” was set up to have a truck remain on scene to monitor any flare-ups.
Later in the evening, firefighters responded to a fire at a Tim Hortons in Orléans, where heavy black smoke was coming from the washroom. The fire was declared under control just after 6:40 p.m. and was prevented from spreading to nearby buildings.
Fires earlier in the week include a blaze at a home nearby Algonquin College which sent two people with “serious” injuries. Police are investigating the incident as an arson.
