Woman seriously hurt, six displaced in blaze
The provincial fire marshal's office has dispatched an investigator to assist Ottawa Fire Services in its investigation of a Saturday morning apartment blaze that injured six people and left two families displaced.
A woman was in serious condition after she was rescued by firefighters from the smoky fire at a south-end apartment building.
Ottawa Fire Services was called at about 7:30 a.m. for a fire in a second floor unit at the rear of the three-storey building at 3530 Downpatrick Rd. in the Southgate district. A number of calls indicated two adults and two children could be trapped. Firefighters managed to rapidly put out the flames through a rear window and used ladders to enter a second-floor window.
One woman was quickly found and evacuated from the unit. Paramedics said the victim, in her 40s, was treated and was transported to hospital in “serious condition.”
The other adult and two children got out on their own and were found outside.
They, along with a neighbouring couple in their 30s, were treated for smoke inhalation and were described as being in stable condition. All five were taken to hospital as a precaution.
The occupants of the burned apartment and a unit directly below were displaced by the fire.
There was no explanation for why the fire marshal was called. The Fire Marshal's Office administers provincial legislation on fire protection, prevention and public safety. Criminal investigations into fires are handled by police.