Fire crews contended with dangers including arcing power transformers, live wires and a collapsing roof while battling a three-alarm blaze at a Star Top Road commercial complex Wednesday evening.
Three businesses operating out of 1475 Star Top Road are affected. Damage is estimated at more than $1 million. No one was injured.
Multiple 911 calls started coming at 7:37 p.m. reporting black smoke coming from the property near Cyrville Road. Crews could see it billowing in the distance even as they made their way to the scene and declared a working fire at 7:40 p.m. It quickly escalated to a second alarm and then a third by 7:45 p.m.
Crews engaged in a “rapid-fire attack” to fight intense flames in the roof, which partially collapsed at 8 p.m. By 8:20 p.m., firefighters were ordered to evacuate the structure and get off the roof.
A heavy-equipment operator and high hoe from Maurice Yelle Ltd. was in the area and offered their services to help battle the blaze.
Multiple fire crews were on the scene until 10 p.m. when the incident commander was finally able to scale back operations.
A fire investigator was dispatched to the scene. Excavation was scheduled for Thursday morning.
Link to original article in the Ottawa Citizen: Damage in east-end commercial fire pegged at more than $1 million