A family of eight new Canadians is among those who are homeless after two early morning fires in Ottawa Wednesday.
The fire broke out at the home located at 226 Rochester St. at around 6 a.m. Wednesday.
One of the families who lived there arrived in the capital two years ago after fleeing the military regime in Myanmar.
"My grandma woke me up from my bed," said family member Daisy Moo. "She told me there was a fire so we went outside."
The Red Cross has provided accomodation for the family, which includes a four-month-old baby named Kenneth. They will be able to stay in a hotel room for three days; after that they say they don't know where they will go.
"We will have to look for emergency housing for them," said Sally Mawlay of the Catholic Immigration Centre of Ottawa. "I don't think they will be able to make it back here."
Fire crews said the fire started in an attached garage and spread into the back of the home.
"This being an older home, it's still balloon construction," said Marc Messier of the Ottawa Fire Service. "Once the flames get inside a wall, it climbs up easily and spreads quickly."
Two other adults lived on the second floor of the building with a dog and a cat. The cat did not survive the fire.
There were no injuries reported in the blaze.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
To donate to the family, please contact sally@cic.ca or call the Catholic Immigration Centre at 613-232-9634 exct. 350.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Vanessa Lee
