Ottawa firefighters were kept busy by several fires during the early morning hours Wednesday.
At about 2:30 Wednesday morning flames broke out at 31 Creekwood Cres., in Crystal Beach, a neighbourhood in Ottawa's west end.
By the time firefighters arrived, the flames had spread to the home next door. Both homes were destroyed. A third home sustained some damage to its plastic siding.
Although firefighters managed to evacuate two adults and two dogs from 33 Creekwood Cres., the family who lives next door where the fire originated was out of town. The mother was with a friend; her three daughters were with their father.
"My mom thought I was inside, which was scary," said daughter Taylor Rodriguez.
"We didn't know anything until about 9:30 or 10 o'clock," added father Alberto Rodriguez.
Damage to 31 and 33 Creekwood Cres. is estimated at $1.3 million. An arson investigator was called to the scene.
Fires in Fisher Heights and O'Connor area
An hour later, another fire broke out near Baseline Road and Fisher Avenue on Lexington Street.
It's believed that fire started in the basement and spread through the floor.
Firefighters say the man inside the home was awakened by a fire alarm and evacuated his house on his own. He was taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Damage in that fire is pegged at $250,000. The exact cause of the blaze is not yet known.
Earlier Wednesday morning, police and fire crews were called to Tosca's Restaurant on O'Connor Street when a chair caught fire. They removed the chair and ventilated the building.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Stefan Keyes
