Two separate house fires kept Greely firefighters busy overnight, with crews battling a basement fire Sunday evening before returning to the area Monday morning for a garage blaze.
The first fire broke out around 9 p.m. Sunday at a residence on Shoreway Drive. Flames were visible from a basement window when firefighters arrived, while an air-conditioning unit that had fallen from the side of the house was also burning.
Crews entered the home with a hose line as another team worked from an aerial ladder. Firefighters searched the residence and confirmed that nobody was inside. The fire was brought under control in roughly 40 minutes and remained confined to a basement office and computer room.
Firefighters then opened portions of the building to check for and extinguish hidden hot spots. Fans were also brought in to clear the smoke from the home.
Less than 12 hours later, firefighters were called to another Greely residence, this time on South Beach Boulevard. The call came in at approximately 7:14 a.m. Monday after smoke was noticed coming from the garage and vents of the house.
A vehicle, fuel containers and a barbecue were found inside the garage, where the fire was concentrated. The six residents had already escaped safely along with their pets, and firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading into the rest of the home.
Investigators with Ottawa Fire Services are examining both incidents to establish what caused each fire and where they originated.