A three-alarm fire that broke out in a Barrhaven townhouse complex Wednesday morning has displaced approximately 40 people, Ottawa fire officials say.
Ottawa Fire Services spokesperson Danielle Cardinal said the blaze affected up to 16 of the stacked units located at 601 Chapman Mills Dr., between Longfields Drive and Woodroffe Avenue.
Cardinal confirmed investigators remain at the scene trying to determine what caused the fire. There is no word yet on how exactly many units were heavily damaged, she said, but some will be accessible again in the coming days.
For now, gas and power remain shut off in all the units affected.
The fire department said on social media they received a 911 call reporting a fire on the exterior of the building just before 8:30 a.m.
Shortly after 10 a.m., Cardinal tweeted that flames were still present in the roof and attic space but that crews were in the process of extinguishing and monitoring the fire closely.
Paramedics attended to one firefighter and one resident who sustained minor injuries, Cardinal said.
By 11:15 a.m. firefighters were helping to salvage residents’ belongings, including “electronics, important documents and medication.”
Cardinal said a resident’s cat was also reported missing but was soon found safe and sound.
The Salvation Army and Ottawa Red Cross were on scene providing food and support to residents displaced by the blaze.
Fire officials have asked commuters to avoid the area.