Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) says no injuries were reported following a fire that engulfed a multi-unit housing complex in Barrhaven Friday night.
Firefighters say they received multiple calls reporting a townhome complex in the 2600 block of Longfield Drive was on fire.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, two minutes into the initial call, they found the backside of the three-storey complex engulfed in flames “from the main floor unit up to the attic,” says OFS.
That was when they started extinguishing the fire by advancing a hose line inside. To put out the flames inside, they had to pull down sections of soffit. Firefighters then had to cut holes in the roof using chainsaws to extinguish flames in the attic.
OFS says crews had to work carefully, as the balconies were at risk of collapsing.
No occupants were found inside.
The fire was declared under control at 11:21 p.m.
“A ‘fire watch’ system was put into place to have a truck remain on scene to monitor for any flare ups,” said the fire service in a post on X.
The investigation into what led to the fire is ongoing.