A backyard in Ottawa’s Glebe area shows the damage left behind after a fire burned through several homes on Saturday evening. CTV News
A large fire broke out late Saturday night in Ottawa’s Glebe neighborhood, damaging several homes and forcing nearly a dozen residents to leave. It started around 10:37 p.m. when multiple 911 calls reported smoke and flames coming from a home on Fourth Avenue near Lyon Street.
When firefighters arrived, they saw flames spreading to four semi-detached houses, a tree, a garage with a vehicle, and several outdoor decks. They quickly called for more help as the fire was large and growing fast.
Crews battle fire, face tough conditions
Firefighters worked hard to stop the flames from spreading further. They had to deal with dangerous conditions, including live power lines. Crews cut through roofs, ceilings, and walls to find and put out all parts of the fire.
The blaze was brought under control by 11:10 p.m.
Search teams checked the buildings and confirmed that no one was trapped inside.
One injured, families displaced
A woman in her 60s was taken to hospital. Paramedics said she was in stable condition. Victim Services helped ten people — eight adults and two children — who couldn’t return to their homes due to the damage.
Nick Defazio, a spokesperson for Ottawa Fire Services, praised the firefighters for their quick response. He said crews arrived within two minutes of the first call.
“This was a serious fire that could have spread fast,” he said. “But the team did a great job containing it.”
Defazio added that houses in that area are close together, which made the fire even more dangerous. He said the fire likely started in a garage, but the exact cause is still under investigation. No signs of foul play have been found.
Neighbor shares her experience
Lisa Love-Tedjoutomo lives nearby and said she saw the fire from her back window.
“I pulled the blind and saw a huge fire,” she said. “It was shocking.”
She said people started banging on doors to alert their neighbors. Lisa grabbed her dogs and keys and drove away to safety. Her home only suffered minor damage, and she was able to return later.
“Our neighbors weren’t so lucky,” she said. “Some of them lost more.”
Lisa said the community is still trying to process the event and is thankful for the fast action of firefighters and paramedics.
“They’re okay, but still coming to terms with what happened,” she said.
