Ottawa firefighters were called to a three-alarm fire that damaged several homes and left nearly a dozen residents displaced in the Glebe neighbourhood Saturday evening.
In a news release, the Ottawa Fire Services say multiple 911 callers reported visible smoke and flames impacting a single-family home in the 100 block of Fourth Avenue near Lyon Street at approximately 10:37 p.m.
On scene, firefighters found four semi-detached homes, a large tree, a garage with a vehicle and multiple outside decks on fire.
Firefighters dispatched additional resources to the scene and began an “aggressive fire attack.” A second and third alarm was quickly called in due to the scale of the incident.
Crews had to deal with several hazards, including live hydro lines and propane tanks.
“Crews worked tirelessly during fire operations, pulling down ceilings, cutting holes in roofs, and opening up walls to ensure all hidden fire was fully extinguished,” the fire service said.
Searches of the homes confirmed there were no residents trapped inside.
The Ottawa Paramedic Service says it had multiple first responders sent to the area. A woman in her 60s was transported to hospital by ambulance in stable condition, paramedics say.
The fire was declared under control at about 11:10 p.m.
Victim Services was called in to aid eight adults and two children who will be displaced from the fire.
Ottawa Fire Services public information officer Nick Defazio says crews arrived within two minutes after being dispatched, preventing the flames from spreading further.
“This was a really serious fire that could have spread really quickly throughout that street, but firefighters did an excellent job at containing it.” he said.
“The houses are in close proximity, so when the fire starts spreading, it can jump from one house to another very quickly.”
Defazio says the fire appears to have started inside a garage but is still working to confirm the cause.
No foul play is suspected, he said.
Neighbour describes “shocking” blaze
Lisa Love-Tedjoutomo, whose home suffered minor damage in the fire, recalls seeing the glow of the flames from outside her back window before evacuating.
“I lift the blind, and I see, like it was immediate shock. It was a fire. It was gigantic,” she said.
She says neighbours began knocking on doors telling them to get out. She grabbed her dogs and car keys before driving down the road to safety.
“It was just so shocking,” she said. “I think if the fire department hadn’t showed up within minutes, our backyard would have been destroyed. We have a little damage, but we were allowed to go back in our house. But our neighbors weren’t so fortunate.”
Love-Tedjoutomo says her neighbours are still processing the damage that was caused and is thankful for the first responders who aided evacuated neighbours.
“They’re doing okay,” she said. “I think it’s mostly just processing it. I think that’s kind of where we’re at – processing it.”