Ottawa Fire Services

Our Rope Rescue Team safely rescued an injured worker from the basement of a home under construction this morning after the worker fell through scaffolding and landed on concrete. At approx. 08:19, the Ottawa Fire Services Communications Division received a call from our partners at @OttawaParamedic requesting assistance at a residential construction site near the intersection of Linseed Road and Alembic Crescent. Firefighters arrived on scene three minutes after being dispatched and confirmed the worker remained in the basement and was unable to exit without assistance due to an injury. A Rope Rescue Team was dispatched while Firefighters placed ladders into the basement to access the worker and began assessing and treating them. One of our aerial ladders was set up to provide a high anchor point for the rope rescue. Firefighters carefully secured the worker in a stokes basket, which was attached to the system, before lifting them out of the basement and lowering them to a safe location. Once the rescue was complete, patient care was transferred to our partners at @OttawaParamedic. Firefighters cleared the scene at approx. 09:09, leaving it in the care of our partners at @OttawaPolice for their investigation. #OttNews

Firefighters safely extricated a driver yesterday morning after a collision involving a school bus left them trapped inside a heavily damaged sedan. At approx. 07:52, the Ottawa Fire Services Communications Division received a call from our partners at @OttawaPolice requesting a response to a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Richardson Side Road and Terry Fox Drive. Further updates indicated that a driver was trapped and their vehicle was on fire. Upon arrival, Firefighters confirmed a collision involving a school bus and a sedan, with the driver trapped inside the sedan. There was no fire in either vehicle and no children were on the bus. The sedan had sustained significant damage, with the front of the bus pinned against the driver’s door. Firefighters stabilized the sedan and advanced a charged hose line as a precaution before beginning the extrication process. With the bus entangled in the sedan’s damaged bodywork, Firefighters carefully backed it away to create enough space to access the driver. The bus was moved approximately 10 feet and its wheels were secured with cribbing to prevent movement. Firefighters used specialized hydraulic tools to remove both doors of the sedan and performed a “dash lift” to free the driver’s legs. Our partners at @OttawaParamedic provided medical care throughout the extrication while @OttawaPolice closed roads and directed traffic so crews could work safely. At 08:26, Firefighters safely extricated the driver and assisted Paramedics in transferring them onto a stretcher. Before clearing the scene, Firefighters disconnected the batteries, removed debris from the roadway and applied absorbent material to spilled fuel. The scene was left in the care of @OttawaPolice for their investigation. #OttNews

Firefighters brought a significant house fire on Sanford Avenue under control last night after flames spread from an attached garage into the home’s walls and attic. At approx. 19:27, the Ottawa Fire Services Communications Division received multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting a fire in the 100 block of Sanford Avenue. Callers reported smoke and flames coming from an attached garage and spreading to a two-storey single-family home. Firefighters arrived on scene three minutes after being dispatched and confirmed the garage was fully engulfed in flames, with heavy flames extending approximately 20 feet above the roof and thick black smoke coming from the property. Firefighters initiated a fast attack and advanced multiple hose lines towards the home while an aerial ladder was set up. Crews entered the home to search for occupants and extinguish the fire. Flames had spread inside the walls and into the attic, requiring Firefighters to open walls, cut through sections of the floor and pull down ceilings to expose and extinguish hidden fire. Crews operating from the aerial ladder also removed sections of the roof to access additional flames. Two full searches of the home in smoke-filled conditions confirmed no occupants were inside. Everyone had evacuated safely. The fire was declared under control at 20:04, less than an hour after the initial calls. No injuries were reported. An @OttFire Investigator was dispatched to determine the cause of the fire. Four people have been displaced. 📸 OFS Photographer Jean Lalonde

Firefighters contained a basement fire on Herridge Street this morning before it could spread through the home. At approx. 08:25, the Ottawa Fire Services Communications Division received multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting a basement fire in the 0-100 block of Herridge Street. Callers described smoke coming from the basement windows as residents evacuated and worked to get several pets safely outside. Firefighters arrived on scene four minutes after being dispatched and confirmed smoke and flames coming from the basement of a two-storey home divided into two apartments. Crews initiated a fast attack and advanced a hose line to the basement while a secondary crew began searching the home. Reports from outside indicated that all residents and pets had safely evacuated. One resident was suffering from smoke inhalation. Firefighters established a medical sector and began treating the resident until patient care was transferred to our partners from @OttawaParamedic. Firefighters extinguished the basement fire and contained it to the area of origin before it could spread. The fire was declared under control at 08:46. Crews completed two full searches of the home and confirmed no residents remained inside. Victim Services was dispatched to assist four adults displaced by the fire. An @OttFire Investigator was dispatched to determine the cause and origin of the fire. #OttNews

A LITTLE COMFORT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE!🚒 Our Fire Service is taking another step toward a more inclusive, compassionate and sensory-aware community. We’re adding sensory kits to pumps across the city to help neurodivergent children and adults feel calmer and more comfortable during emergencies. Thank you to Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (@FMPFSC) and North City Insurance Brokers (@Northcity_Insur) for making this possible!👏 🧩 Different needs. One community. Here for everyone.

Thanks to @FMPFSC and @TCEnergy our Fire Prevention Team is Charged into Fire Safety!

Firefighters rescued a resident from a smoke-filled townhome on Heatherington Road this morning and contained a basement fire before it could spread to the upper floors or adjoining homes. At approximately 10:41, the Ottawa Fire Services Communications Division received multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting heavy black smoke coming from the back of a two-storey, middle-unit townhome in the 1400 block of Heatherington Road. One caller had knocked on the front door but received no response. Firefighters arrived four minutes after being dispatched and confirmed smoke coming from the home, including the basement windows. Crews initiated a fast attack, advanced a hoseline inside and quickly located the fire in the basement. A second crew began searching the home for occupants. Working in zero-visibility conditions caused by thick black smoke, Firefighters located a resident on the second floor and safely brought them outside. Crews established a medical sector and began assessing and treating the rescued resident before transferring patient care to @OttawaParamedic Service upon their arrival. Initial reports indicated another resident might still be inside. Firefighters completed multiple searches and confirmed that only one occupant had been home at the time of the fire. The fire was extinguished and declared under control at 11:07. Crews contained the fire to the basement, preventing it from spreading to the upper floors or either adjoining townhome. Firefighters used high-pressure fans to ventilate the home and remove residual smoke. Two adult residents will be displaced as a result of the fire. An Ottawa Fire Services Investigator was dispatched to determine the cause and origin of the fire. #OttNews

Firefighters freed a heavily trapped driver following a serious head-on collision at the intersection of Burton Road and North Russell Road last night. At approximately 19:46, the Ottawa Fire Services Communications Division received a call from our partners at the @OttawaPolice reporting a two-vehicle collision with one vehicle in the ditch. An off-duty Ottawa Firefighter came upon the collision and immediately stopped to help before first responders arrived. The Firefighter reported that a tractor-trailer cab, travelling without a trailer, had collided head-on with a Hyundai Santa Fe. The lone occupant of the Santa Fe was unconscious and trapped inside the heavily damaged vehicle. Upon arrival, Firefighters quickly stabilized the vehicle and advanced a charged hoseline as a precaution. Extrication began at 20:03, with crews using specialized hydraulic tools to remove multiple doors and the roof to access and free the driver. Given the proximity to the municipal boundary, Russell Township Fire Services also responded. A unified command was established, with both Fire Services working together throughout the complex extrication. The off-duty Firefighter remained inside the vehicle with the driver throughout the rescue, providing cervical spine stabilization while crews worked around them. Paramedics from the @OttawaParamedic and @CUPR_UCPR provided patient care throughout the extrication. At 20:41, the driver was safely removed from the vehicle and transferred to paramedics for transport to hospital. Firefighters applied absorbent to leaking fuel before clearing the scene, leaving it in the care of the @OttawaPolice and @OPP_ER for their investigation. Ottawa Fire Services thanks our off-duty Firefighter and our partners at Russell Township Fire Services, the Ottawa Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Ottawa Paramedic Service and Prescott-Russell Paramedic Service for their coordinated response. From the first moments of assistance to the completion of a challenging extrication, this rescue demonstrated how teamwork across agencies helps achieve positive outcomes when every second matters. #OttNews

Firefighters stopped a basement fire from spreading to a neighbouring home in Orléans this morning. At approximately 10:42, the Ottawa Fire Services Communications Division received multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting a fire at a single-family home in the 600 block of Decoeur Drive. Callers reported flames coming from the basement and extending out the side of the house close to the neighbouring home. Bystanders were knocking on neighbours’ doors to alert them and help them evacuate. Firefighters arrived four minutes after being dispatched and confirmed heavy smoke and flames coming from the home. Crews initiated a fast attack, advancing a hoseline through the front door while searching for occupants. Firefighters quickly located and extinguished the basement fire. Two complete searches confirmed no occupants were inside. The fire had travelled from the basement into the side wall of the home. Firefighters used chainsaws to open the wall, expose hidden hot spots and extinguish them. The fire was declared under control at 11:12. Firefighters protected the neighbouring home from the flames, limiting damage to minor heat damage to its siding. There are no reported injuries. An Ottawa Fire Services Investigator was dispatched to the scene to determine the cause. #OttNews