Fire in Ottawa's south end claims 56-year-old man's life

A 56-year-old man is dead following an overnight fire in Ottawa's south end.

Emergency crews responded to a 911 call just before 2:30 a.m. Sunday, reporting a "heavy fire" at a home in the 5000 block of First Line Road in Manotick.

Ottawa fire says firefighters confirmed the front of the structure was fully involved in flames when they arrived on the scene.

Firefighters conducting a search of the home located an individual inside the structure. Officials say firefighters, "brought the victim outside and assessed and began treating the victim."

Ottawa Paramedics tell CTV News Ottawa an adult male was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Ottawa police confirmed to Newstalk 580 CFRA the individual died from their injuries at the hospital. 

Paramedics treated three other people at the scene for minor injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The survivors include Cory Hilliard, his daughter, and his partner who did not want to be identified.

Hilliard's partner told CTV News Ottawa they had just finished watching a movie in the basement when clouds of smoke came from upstairs. The identity of the deceased has not been made public. 

"It came in so fast... We got out with the clothes on our back," she said. "You couldn’t breathe. You couldn’t get any oxygen in... I’ve never been in a situation that bad." 

Friends set up a GoFundMe for the survivors to help pay for recovery costs.

The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal and the Ottawa Police Arson Unit are investigating the fire, with the assistance of a Ottawa Fire Services investigator.

Ottawa fire chief Paul Hutt commented to extend condolences to the victims. 

"The Ottawa Fire Services would like to extend its condolences to the family and friends of the occupant who succumbed to their injuries at this morning's fire on First Line Rd. Our thoughts are with anyone affected by this tragedy," Hutt said on Twitter.

This is the third fatal fire in the national capital region in a week and the fourth in the last month.

On Tuesday, one person died in a house fire on Castlefrank Road in Kanata.

On March 26, a woman died in a fire at a five-unit apartment building on rue Frontenac in Hull.

There was also a fatal fire in Sandy Hill on March 7 that claimed the life of a 67-year-old woman. 

--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Natalie van Rooy.