Ottawa Fire Services responded to four significant fires on Jan. 7, keeping firefighters busy for much of the day.
Ottawa firefighters were on the scene of a fire that displaced 19 people Ogilvie Road on the afternoon of Jan. 7, making for the fourth fire in one day.
Shortly before noon, the Ottawa Fire Service received reports of heavy black smoke and flames coming from a townhouse in the 2000 block of Ogilvie Road.
Firefighters quickly came to the scene, where flames were coming through the roof, and two townhouses were on fire.
OFS spokesperson Nick DeFazio said there were flames on the first and second floors of the home where the fire started, and it had spread to an attached unit.
A “second alarm” was called to bring more resources to the scene.
Firefighters searched both units to ensure there were no occupants, and pulled the ceiling off the top floor of both units to extinguish the flames.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire.
More than a dozen firetrucks were on the scene at Ogilvie Road in the early afternoon, on a busy day of fighting fires across the city.
Around 3:15 a.m., firefighters were called to a garage fire in the Greenboro area, in the 300 block of Macoun Circle.
The fire engulfed the garage and spread to two vehicles, a spokesperson for the fire service said on social media.
“One of the occupants approached our crews on scene and confirmed everyone had safely evacuated the home. Firefighters began searching the smoke-filled home to confirm there were no occupants or pets inside.”
A gas meter had caught fire on the outside of the townhouse, and was self-venting, creating a hazard on scene for firefighters, the social media post said.
Firefighters also entered both townhomes on each side of the fire, to check for occupants and see if the fire had spread, but it remained contained to the garage.
The fire was declared under control at 3:45 a.m.
Then, around 6:30 a.m., firefighters received a call about a barn fire on Walter Bradley Road in Pakenham.
The barn was fully engulfed in flames and had started collapsing.
Eight horses were rescued from the fire, but 30 chickens died.
Firefighters battled heavy winds and cold temperatures, eventually bringing the fire under control hours later at about 10:30 a.m.
An excavator was called to the scene to move debris and extinguish hot spots.
Shortly before 10 a.m., a call came in for a fire alarm from a high-rise building in the 800 block of St. Laurent Boulevard. A fire was located in the bedroom of a unit on the fourth floor, but was contained before it could spread. No residents were found inside the apartment.
High carbon monoxide levels were detected on the fourth floor, so firefighters continued to ventilate the floor and monitor air quality levels until it was safe for residents to return.
That fire was declared under control at 10:15 a.m.
