Three townhouses have been damaged, displacing 16 residents following a fire that broke out in a home in a six-townhouse complex Friday morning in Nepean, according to the Ottawa Fire Services.
Ottawa City Councillor Sean Devine said on X "thankfully no (were) injuries, but 16 residents were displaced" from Ottawa Community Housing "in Ward 9 as a result of this fire."
Firefighters say they received multiple calls at around 2:48 a.m. reporting flames coming from the roof of a townhouse complex in the 100 block of Chesterton Drive.
When firefighters arrived on the scene and saw the flames, they declared a second alarm followed by a third one, requesting additional resources. Then, they started extinguishing the fire by advancing multiple hose lines.
"Firefighters were conducting fire operations in the townhome where the fire started and the two attached townhomes on both sides as well," said the fire service in a news release Friday. "Walls and ceilings were opened up to extinguish the flames that has spread into the attached homes."
Firefighters were able to stop the spread of the fire into the entire complex. Only the two adjacent ones were damaged.
Crews then searched the three damaged units and did not find occupants inside.
The fire was declared under control just before 4:30 a.m.
Firefighters remain on the scene monitoring for hot spots.
Investigation into what led to the fire is ongoing.
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) told CTV News Ottawa in a statement Friday "all fires are treated as suspicious until deemed otherwise, as such at this time, this fire has been deemed suspicious."
"OPS is working collaboratively with partners including the Ottawa Fire Service and the Office of the Fire Marshal to determine cause(s). Once cause is determined, the appropriate actions are taken, which may include a criminal investigation," reads the statement.
Anyone with doorbell, dash cam or video surveillance footage of the 1-100 block of Chesterton Drive between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. is asked to call police at 613-236-1222, extension 2202.