A man in his 50s is in critical condition after firefighters rescued him from an apartment fire in Ottawa’s west end Sunday evening.
Ottawa Fire Services responded to a two-storey residential building on Lockhart Avenue shortly after 5:25 p.m. following reports of heavy smoke on the upper floor.
One man had already escaped the apartment and required medical attention. He told firefighters that another person remained inside, prompting crews to enter the smoke-filled unit. They found the second man unresponsive and immediately began CPR, eventually restoring his pulse and breathing.
The rescued man was taken to hospital in critical condition. The man who initially escaped was also hospitalized. A third man, in his 70s, was assessed at the scene for minor smoke inhalation and did not require transportation to hospital.
Fire officials said the fire was confined to the kitchen and was brought under control in less than 30 minutes. Other residents were able to return to their units.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.