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Three people, including two children, are in critical condition after they were rescued from an apartment highrise fire in the east end early Thursday.
Firefighters were alerted by a monitoring company reporting alarms at 1244 Donald St. shortly after 6 a.m.
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Firefighters arrived four minutes after being dispatched, according to fire service spokesman Nick DeFazio, and they confirmed haze visible in the front of the building and several people on their balconies.
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Firefighters encountered heavy smoke on the third floor, where the fire originated, DeFazio said. A second alarm was called at 6:20 a.m.
Firefighters encountered the three victims in the hallway of the third floor and rescued them from the building 6:22 a.m.
All were unconscious and firefighters worked with paramedics in an effort to resuscitate them, including on the way to the hospital in ambulance.
Their injuries en route to hospital were life-threatening, said Ottawa paramedics spokesman Marc-Antoine Deschamps.
There was no updated information available on their conditions as of 9:20 a.m.
Paramedics treated and transported five other patients to hospital, said Deschamps. Another half-dozen or so were treated by paramedics at the scene, but did not require hospitalization.
DeFazio said there was a broken pipe on the third floor that, combined with firefighter’s efforts to stop the fire, caused significant water damage from the third floor down.
The building’s 136 units were evacuated and officials were determining if they needed to shut down power.
The Overbrook Community Centre is being prepared for displaced fire victims. Residents were being sheltered on OC Transpo buses for the time being.
The fire was declared under control at 6:54 a.m.
Police asked motorists to avoid the scene.
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