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Firefighters put out blaze at former Ottawa Athletic Club building

Firefighters put out a fire at the former site of the Ottawa Athletic Club on Tuesday. (Jean Lalonde/Ottawa Fire) Firefighters put out a fire at the former site of the Ottawa Athletic Club on Tuesday. (Jean Lalonde/Ottawa Fire)
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Ottawa firefighters doused a large fire that took place at the former site of the Ottawa Athletic Club in the city's east-end on Tuesday.

Ottawa Fire said on social media that crews responded to a fire that started on the outside of the building, located on Lancaster Road, just after 11:45 a.m.

The former athletic facility closed in 2020 and was being converted into a 120,000 square foot warehouse and 6,000 square feet of offices.

A 9-1-1 caller reported there was fire inside the walls of the structure and that flames could be seen going up to the roof. A 'working fire' was declared when firefighters arrived to dispatch additional resources to the scene.

Visible flames were seen through the windows and a secondary crew confirmed all the workers inside had safely evacuated.

"Firefighters used saws to cut holes in the walls from the exterior to extinguish the flames that were travelling between the walls," Ottawa Fire said on social media.

"Fire crews worked hard and were able to bring the fire under control at 13:58 and contain it to the front area of the structure."

Fire crews subsequently began 'extensive ventilation' operations by using pressurized fans to remove smoke from the structure. A fire truck and crew remained on scene to monitor any flare ups.

An Ottawa Fire inspector has been dispatched to the scene to identify the cause of the fire.

There were no injuries reported.

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