As many as 20 people have been displaced following an evening fire that damaged seven apartments in a building in Ottawa’s southeast end.
Ottawa fire says 9-1-1 received multiple calls just before 8 p.m. Tuesday, reporting heavy smoke and flames coming from a window on the sixth floor of an apartment building on Halifax Drive.
“Firefighters confirmed heavy smoke and flames coming from the north side of the sixth floor of the high-rise and the fire had extended up to the apartment above on the seventh floor,” Ottawa fire said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Residents were evacuating the structure and some residents on the sixth floor were on their balconies.”
The two occupants of the unit had evacuated the apartment when the fire started.
Ottawa fire says a cat found unconscious inside the unit where the fire started died from its injuries.
Two people were transported to hospital with smoke inhalation.
Seven units were affected by the fire.
“Water damage from the seventh floor fire unit went straight down to the 1st floor in all seven units,” Ottawa fire said.
The fire was declared under control 25 minutes after the initial 9-1-1 call.
An Ottawa Fire Service investigator is looking into the cause of the fire.