A fire early Monday morning in Vanier has left 16 people displaced from their homes. Ottawa Fire Services responded to a call at 5:10 a.m. reporting a blaze in the basement of a two-storey building on St. Denis Street.
Firefighters arrived just three minutes later and quickly launched an aggressive attack. Flames were coming from the rear of the building, extending into the basement, while another crew faced flames advancing toward the upper floors as they entered from the front. Fortunately, no occupants were found inside the apartment at the time of the fire.
Two cats were rescued from the second floor, but the 11 adults and five children living in the building are now without a place to stay. One of the displaced residents, Leonel Kitio, described the chaos of the evacuation, recounting how his family quickly fled the building with nothing but their children in hand.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.