Arson investigators are looking into two suspicious fires 90 minutes apart and just blocks apart as well.

Two men were injured; one of them is in critical condition. The first fire happened at 920 Dynes Road around 11 p.m close to Prince of Wales. The next one occurred about 600 metres down the road and began just after midnight at 1077 Dynes near Fisher.

There is little left of the house at 1077 Dynes Road. Whatever happened there happened quickly and loudly; loud enough to startle Angelo Corsi several houses away.

“I was looking at the TV,” Corsi says, “I heard “boom” and as soon I came outside, the frame was on the roof already. That's all.”

Residents near 920 Dynes heard a similar noise. The tenants at the townhouse two doors down were jolted out of bed. Christopher Lacroix then says his roommate pounded on his door to say the house down at the end of their row was on fire.

“There was a bang, a crack,” he recalls, “It sounded almost electrical, like a fast pop. It was pretty loud.”

That fire started around 11:00. About 90 minutes later, the second blaze started half a kilometre down the road at 1077 Dynes. It was vacant at the time but two men were at home at 920 Dynes and they scrambled to get out. Both men were lucky to escape with their lives but they have been injured. The 28-year-old has burns to his face and hands. The 20-year-old has second degree burns to his upper body and respiratory problems. He may be flown to Sunnybrook in Toronto.

The Fire Marshall's Office and the Police Arson Unit are investigating based on the timing and proximity of the two fires.

“At the moment we are proceeding as though both fires were deliberately set,” says Sergeant David Christie with the Ottawa Police Arson Unit, “That's usually highly unlikely that two accidental fires happen in this manner and with some of the information about the possibility of a person fleeing the scene.”

These fires so close together certainly have residents feeling nervous.

“When you hear two incidences close together, you wonder what's going on,” says resident Madeline Hamilton.

“It’s certainly weird,” says Matthew Antoniani, “we checked our smoke detectors this morning making sure they're all good and stuff.”

As for those loud pops or bangs. Sgt. Christie says it could be just glass popping or it could be an explosion. They'll know more as they dig deeper into the rubble of the two blazes.