Windy conditions helped a fire spread from a hedge to a home in Kanata on Friday afternoon, Ottawa Fire Services says.
Fire Services received a 911 call at 3:01 p.m. that reported a tree on fire in a backyard at 108 Seabrooke Dr. in the area of Gowrie Drive and Barra Avenue.
Updated information provided by a neighbour was that a hedge on fire ignited the side of the home. The caller also confirmed that persons inside were now evacuating the structure on fire.
The working fire was initiated at 3:06 p.m. The first crew on scene confirmed the exterior of the home was on fire. Firefighters engaged in a rapid-fire attack from the outside, while others entered the home to look for possible fire spread in the attic and eaves.
According to Danielle Cardinal from the OFS, fire has a knack for entering the attic through eaves and soffit. The dry conditions in the attic are then the perfect environment for a fire to spread.
Firefighters used thermal imaging cameras and they removed some building materials to search for possible fire spread. The fire was confirmed under control at 3:19 p.m. Crews removed some insulation, drywall and other building materials in the structure. These measures help eliminate the possibility of fire spread or rekindling.
According to Cardinal, dispatchers told firefighters that winds in the area were between 15-20 km/h and, depending on the direction, could have been the reason the fire spread from the hedge to the home.
A fire investigator is en route to investigate a possible cause. There were no reported injuries to the fire and a damage amount has not been released yet.