One person treated for smoke inhalation after South Keys high-rise fire

Ottawa fire crews quickly knocked down a high-rise fire in South Keys Wednesday morning.

Around 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 13, Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) responded to an apartment building in the 2700 block of Carousel Crescent near Bank Street and Albion Road.

A 911 caller had reported smoke coming from the sixth floor.

OFS arrived on scene within five minutes of being dispatched and confirmed heavy black smoke coming out of a patio door at the back of the structure.

Firefighters made their way to the sixth floor and were met with heavy smoke conditions in the hallway. The fire unit was located and the flames were under control by 9:41 a.m. — seven minutes after crews arrived.

Two full searches of the unit were done, and no occupants were found inside, though firefighters did carry a sixth-floor resident in a wheelchair down to the ground floor to be assessed for smoke inhalation.

High pressurized fans were used to ventilate the residual smoke out of the building and once the air quality was deemed safe, all residents were able to return to their units.

The cause and origin of the fire is under investigation.