A quick-thinking neighbour helped save several residents after a fire broke out Sunday morning at a bungalow on Belcourt Boulevard in Orléans.
Ottawa Fire Services received a call around 9:30 a.m. reporting heavy smoke and flames coming from a garage. Neighbour Serge Pinard spotted the blaze while working in his yard and rushed over to alert the occupants, banging on doors throughout the home to ensure everyone escaped safely.
Pinard, a former volunteer firefighter, said the smoke thickened rapidly as he helped people out of the basement and upstairs rooms. One of the residents, Jayd Peckham, said he woke up to the commotion and fled the house, which became fully engulfed within minutes.
Firefighters conducted two searches to confirm everyone was out and declared the fire under control by 11:09 a.m. No injuries were reported, though the home sustained heavy damage.
Paramedics were on standby but did not treat any patients. A fire investigator has been assigned to determine the cause, and a fire watch remains in place to monitor for flare-ups.