Family home burned to the ground as crews tackled flames for two hours

A family home in Kinburn has been reduced to rubble after flames spread quickly throughout the building.

Crews were on scene after a call at 6:28 a.m. reported the single-detached house in the 4000 block of Loggers Way was on fire. While on their way to the home in the northwest corner of the city, crews noted “billowing smoke” in the area and declared a working fire while en route.

Once there, the two-storey house was engulfed in flames from both sides. Two people were outside and said they both escaped safely.

Officials could not get inside the home and had to attack the fire from the outside. They used multiple hose lines and doused the blaze for hours.

Propane tanks beside the house created a hazard for teams and took resources from crews to spray them consistently to make sure they stayed cool until they could be shut off.

At 8:38 a.m. the blaze was declared under control by teams. An excavator was sent to the scene to help move debris and extinguish hot spots.

An investigator is trying to determine how the blaze started.

Expansions to rural stations coming

This fire happened in an open area of the city with no hydrants nearby, forcing crews to create a shuttle system from a nearby water source.

It also happened the same day a study was tabled at the Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee that details areas of Ottawa where upgrading rural fire stations should happen.

According to the report, the committee approved the expansion of stations in Manotick and in Greely to be completed in the next 10 years. This will ensure response times of seven minutes, 13 seconds for the community are consistent while it grows.

“The study found that current fire stations are well placed to provide optimal coverage, and that there is no immediate need to build new stations,” a press release reads.

Council will discuss the report on Feb. 26.