A kitchen fire in an Ottawa west-end townhome Wednesday morning left two dogs dead and forced three residents from their home.
Fire crews were dispatched to an end-unit residence on Draper Avenue near Greenbank and Baseline roads at 8:51 a.m. after neighbours reported smoke coming from the home. While searching the residence, firefighters found two large dogs inside. Both animals were unresponsive and, despite rescue efforts outside, could not be revived.
The blaze was brought under control in just over half an hour. Crews then ventilated the home to clear smoke and opened sections of the kitchen walls to check for hidden hot spots, confirming the fire did not spread to the neighbouring unit. One adult and two children were displaced as a result of the incident.
Officials say the cause of the fire remains under investigation.