Ottawa firefighter injured while battling basement fire in Blackburn Hamlet

A firefighter suffered a minor injury while tackling a basement fire in Blackburn Hamlet Tuesday afternoon.

Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) responded to a home in the 1-100 block of Tauvette Street around 4:15 p.m. on Oct. 29, following several 9-1-1 calls reporting black smoke.

Firefighters arrived on scene within five minutes of being dispatched and confirmed flames coming from the basement window of a two-storey semi-detached home.

The homeowner met firefighters outside upon arrival and confirmed that everyone had made it out of the home safely.

Firefighters initiated a fast attack, moving into the home with a hose line, while a secondary crew began applying water through a basement window.

OFS said the integrity of the main level floor was compromised from the heat and flames, creating a hazard for firefighters operating inside the home.  

“A piercing nozzle was put through the first floor and sprayed into the basement to extinguish the flames,” said OFS Public Information Officer Nick DeFazio.

Firefighters then made their way into the basement and fully extinguished the remaining flames, also opening up several walls and using a thermal imaging camera to make sure there was no fire extension.

The fire was declared under control at 5:04 p.m.

Two full searches of the structure confirmed there were no occupants or pets inside, though one firefighter suffered smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.