Seven units damaged by fire in Ottawa apartment building

Several people were displaced following an evening fire that damaged seven apartments in a building in Ottawa's southeast end.

Ottawa fire says 9-1-1 received multiple calls just before 8 p.m. Tuesday, reporting heavy smoke and flames coming from a window on the sixth floor of an apartment building on Halifax Drive.

"Firefighters confirmed heavy smoke and flames coming from the north side of the sixth floor of the high-rise and the fire had extended up to the apartment above on the seventh floor," Ottawa fire said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"Residents were evacuating the structure and some residents on the sixth floor were on their balconies."

Deputy fire chief David Matschke said the people on their balconies were all rescued safely. 

"Upon arrival, with the conditions on the sixth floor, there were multiple people on their balconies and we set up two aerial devices to potentially rescue those. Due to the quick action of the interior firefighting crews, though, the fire was extinguished quickly and there was no requirement to remove those people using the aerial trucks, they were safely removed after the smoke was cleared."

The two occupants of the unit had evacuated the apartment when the fire started.

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Ottawa fire says a cat found unconscious inside the unit where the fire started died from its injuries.

Two people were transported to hospital with smoke inhalation.

Seven units were affected by the fire.

"Water damage from the seventh floor fire unit went straight down to the 1st floor in all seven units," Ottawa fire said.

Fire officials said Tuesday night as many as 20 people were displaced, but said later Wednesday three people remained out of their homes.

"There is some minor damage on the apartments below the fire unit, but all people other than the two units affected have been returned to their units," said Matschke.

The fire was declared under control 25 minutes after the initial 9-1-1 call.

An Ottawa Fire Service investigator is looking into the cause of the fire.

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