An early morning house fire in Vanier South on Tuesday left four pets dead and forced a family from their home, though all residents escaped safely.
Fire crews were dispatched around 2:33 a.m. to a home in the 300 block of Dieppe Street after a resident reported smoke and flames coming from the basement. All four occupants—three adults and a child—managed to get out before firefighters arrived.
Crews reached the scene within minutes and encountered thick smoke billowing from the house. The residents told firefighters they had escaped with one dog, but another dog and three cats were still inside. Firefighters quickly advanced a hose to the basement to knock down the flames while a separate team searched the home.
The missing pets were located unconscious and brought outside, where lifesaving efforts were attempted, but all four animals died. The fire was brought under control by 3:11 a.m., with crews opening parts of the ceiling and a window to extinguish remaining hot spots.
An Ottawa fire investigator is working to determine the cause of the blaze. The family has been displaced as a result of the damage.