Three in critical condition in `suspicious' highrise fire
Police arson unit probes origins of blaze due to its `nature and size'
Two children and an adult were taken to hospital in critical condition with severe smoke inhalation and other injuries after an early morning fire Thursday forced the evacuation of a highrise apartment building in Cyrville.
Marc-antoine Deschamps, a spokesman for the Ottawa Paramedic Service, said the victims were in life-threatening condition. It was not known by print deadline if they were all part of the same family.
Deschamps said a handful of other people were treated on-site for minor smoke inhalation.
The building, at 1244 Donald St., is home to a large population of Syrian refugees.
Ottawa Fire Chief Paul Hutt said 50 apartments were affected by smoke and water damage, and about 200 people are displaced.
The city opened an emergency reception centre for those affected at the Overbrook Community Centre. Some of them began returning home late Thursday afternoon.
Hutt said firefighters responded to a 6:04 a.m. call from an alarm company about smoke in the Donald Street highrise. When crews arrived four minutes later, they found people on their balconies trying to escape the smoke pouring from the building.
Crews that entered the building were confronted with heavy smoke conditions, and elevated the response to a two-alarm fire. More than 20 fire trucks responded to the scene, Hutt said.
Firefighters rescued two children and an adult from the third floor, which is where the fire is believed to have originated.
All three were unconscious when brought out of the building,
Hutt said, and firefighters worked with paramedics in an effort to resuscitate them. They were taken to hospital in critical condition.
Hutt said the first four floors of the building have been affected by fire, smoke and water damage. He said it will be up to investigators to confirm the origin and cause of the fire.
Highrise resident Olivier Alanga, 22, woke up to the smell of smoke in his third-floor apartment, and rushed onto his balcony to try to understand what was happening. He couldn't identify the problem, so went into the hallway, which was thick with smoke.
“I had to hold onto the wall with my hand to get to the stairs because it was so hard to see,” he said.
Arnold Chopa, who lives on the second floor, said he managed to escape with his two children. The second-floor hallway was not filled with smoke, but water was by then pouring into his apartment from the third floor, which is where he believes the fire started.
“I don’t know yet how long we will be out of our home,” he said.
Chief Hutt said firefighters, when faced with a highrise fire, prioritize life, property and the surrounding environment. One stairwell was used for evacuations, another for firefighters and their equipment. Firefighters knocked on doors to alert residents to the danger.
“Our first tactical priority is that we get everyone out as safe as possible,” he said. “In some cases, we’ll tell people to shelter in place and stay in their apartment if the hallway is full of smoke.”
Firefighters had to clear smoke from the hallways before some of those sheltering in their apartments could be brought out of the building.
Hutt said it’s not clear how long people will remain displaced. “It will be some time, there’s no doubt,” he said.
Beacon-hill Cyrville councillor Tim Tierney was on scene Thursday morning as the building was being evacuated.
“These towers have the highest concentration of Syrian refugees in the city of Ottawa,” said Tierney. “We’ve always worked with them and offered supports — these are some of the people with the greatest needs in our city — and we’ll do that again now.”
Tierney said the city’s social services will work with the Red Cross to assist those displaced.
Ottawa police Insp. Martin Groulx said police arson investigators have been engaged “due to the nature and size of the fire” to assist fire officials in determining the fire’s origin.
Groulx said he could not comment on whether there was any obvious sign of arson.