First floor collapses during bungalow blaze with firefighters inside
Posted Jan 10, 2025 09:19:39 AM.
Last Updated Jan 10, 2025 01:27:06 PM.
Firefighters were called to a single-detached house fire off of Greenbank Road near Iris Street on Friday morning in Ottawa’s west end.
At 7:40 a.m. crews arrived on scene after a passerby reported smoke coming from doors, windows and chimney of a bungalow in the 1000 block of Southwood Drive. A video posted to social media showed heavy smoke coming from the eves of the home and an aerial ladder above the roof.
A fast attack saw crews bring a hose into the building while others fought it from the outside. Officials said the homeowners were out of town.
Firefighters found flames in the basement that had spread to the rest of the structure. As a few members went to bring a hose downstairs the first floor of the home collapsed with two firefighters on the stairs to the basement. They were able to self-rescue and did not have any injuries, Nick DeFazio, media relations officer with Ottawa fire said.
After the collapse all firefighters were evacuated from the home and they started tackling the blaze from outside. Multiple areas of the bungalow needed to be opened up using chainsaws throughout the walls and the attic to extinguish the flames. By 8:42 a.m. the fire was under control.
Due to the cold temperatures, an OC Transpo bus was called to the scene so crews could warm up and rotate tackling the flames.
A fire watch is set up to monitor and an Ottawa fire investigator has been dispatched.
This is the 7th fire officials have tackled this week, including four within 12 hours on Tuesday.
