Donald Street high-rise suffers third fire, tenant dislocation in past 15 years

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The Donald Street apartment building fire that sent three people to hospital in critical condition Thursday was the third significant fire at the high-rise in the past 15 years.

Two children and an adult woman suffered severe smoke inhalation and other injuries in the early-morning fire at 1244 Donald Street, one of two buildings that together are known as Capital Towers.

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The fire also forced the evacuation of more than 200 residents living on the first four floors. Six people were treated on scene and five others transported to hospital with minor injuries, such as smoke inhalation.

Deputy Fire Chief Nathan Adams said Friday most residents have been allowed to return to their units, but the 56 people who live on the third floor – the place where the fire started – will be out of their homes “for an extended period of time.”

Those residents occupy 16 units on the third floor.

“Floor three is currently secured for a fire investigation,” said Adams. “There is significant damage to that corridor and to that floor, and remediation efforts will only be able to start once the investigation is complete.”

It’s not the first time that residents of the Donald Street apartment building have been forced to relocate because of fire damage.

In February 2017, a fire that broke out on the ninth floor of the high-rise displaced hundreds of tenants. Firefighters used ladders to pluck some stranded tenants from their balconies.

The district fire chief told reporters at the time that the fire appeared to originate in an electrical conduit between the ninth and 10th floors, resulting in thick black smoke filling the corridors.

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In August 2011, an explosion in an electrical panel sparked a fire at 1244 Donald Street, and forced residents in the entire building to find alternative accommodations. They were out of their homes for two days while a temporary generator was set up to supply power to the building.

In September 2004, an electrical fire at 1240 Donald Street, the second high-rise in the Capital Towers development, forced 1,000 people from their apartments for months.

Built in 1979 and opened as Sunrise Corners with 534 units, the high-rise apartment buildings are 45 years old. They’re now home to a large contingent of Syrian refugees.

The Donald Street buildings are owned by Toronto-based Q Residential.

A company spokesperson declined to comment on the building’s history, but said, “As we’re sure you can appreciate, our team’s focus and priority at this time is supporting residents and staff, as well as the police and their investigation.”

The Ottawa Police Service’s arson unit is now working with Ottawa Fire Services and the Ontario Fire Marshal to determine the cause of Thursday’s fire.

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A source close to the investigation, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said there’s evidence that an accelerant was used to start the fire.

Meanwhile, the entire building at 1244 Donald Street experienced a blackout late Thursday. Adams said Ottawa fire officials convened on scene at midnight, and ensured the backup auxiliary power was in working order, and that the building’s emergency lights, sprinklers and fire alarms were operational.

“We had a standby fire watch with our fire service to ensure the safety of the building overnight,” he added.

The Electrical Safety Authority and an electrical contractor were on site Friday, Adams said, to restore full power to the building.

Beacon-Hill Cyrville councillor Tim Tierney said power was fully restored Friday afternoon. Tierney said the current owner, Q Residential, has invested heavily in updating the building since taking it over in 2015 and has been a responsive landlord. 

“It will never be perfect,” he said, “but I have no doubt the building is safe. I have no doubt about that.”

Adams said it’s his understanding that both buildings had their electrical systems updated following the 2004 electrical fire at 1240 Donald Street.

The fire service, he said, assigned fire prevention officers to the building Friday to ensure all units have working smoke alarms, and to answer fire safety questions from residents.

Adams said fire alarms in the building were operational during Thursday’s fire.

The City of Ottawa said its emergency reception centre at Overbrook Community Centre served 254 people in the aftermath of Thursday’s fire.

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