A man in his 70s is dead following an evening fire in a three-storey apartment building in Ottawa’s Hintonburg neighbourhood. The Ottawa Fire Services received multiple 911 calls at approximately 6 p.m. Sunday, reporting a fire in an apartment building on Armstrong Street. The fire was one block north of Wellington Street West. “Callers reported flames coming from a window and residents attempting to escape the building,” Nick DeFazio, Ottawa Fire Services Public Information Officer, said in a statement. “Firefighters arrived on scene within two minutes of dispatch and confirmed active flames and heavy smoke visible from the structure. Residents advised crews that the fire was located on the first floor.” DeFazio said the fire was located in the bedroom of a first-floor unit. “During a primary search of the smoke-filled unit, a secondary crew located an occupant unconscious in the bathroom,” DeFazio said. “Two firefighters immediately carried the individual outside, where a medical sector was established. Firefighters began life-saving measures, including CPR, oxygen therapy, and use of a defibrillator.” The Ottawa Paramedic Service said a man in his 70s was transported to hospital in critical condition after being rescued from the fire. DeFazio said the victim later died from his injuries in hospital. A second person was taken to the hospital in stable condition, according to paramedics. The fire was declared under control by 6:30 p.m. DeFazio said 19 residents have been displaced as a result of the fire. The Ontario Fire Marshal will assist an Ottawa Fire Services investigator in searching for the cause of the blaze.
