Initial 911 reports for a fire at 5897 Fernbank Road at 13:30 pm on March 26, 2025 indicated that grey smoke was coming from the roof of the stone heritage home. A “working fire” was declared at 13:34 to dispatch and additional resources were called to the scene after firefighters investigated the perimeter and observed heavy smoke conditions coming from the second floor and attic. The owners, nor their two dogs, were home at the time of the fire and are now displaced.
Firefighters initiated a fast attack and advanced a hose line inside the structure. The fire was in an area of the city with no hydrants so firefighters used a water shuttle system to bring water to the scene. There were also hazards on-scene: propane tanks at the side of the house that had to be kept cooled.
With approximately 75 personnel responding to the fire including paramedics, police who performed traffic control and road closures and 24 vehicles from Ottawa fire, the blaze was tackled with an immediate and concerted effort.
In the low-visibility conditions, two firefighters entered with a handline and were injured when falling through the floor after the main floor’s collapse, along with a woodstove, into the crawl space below the first floor. Able to self-extricate, one member sustained a foot injury, the other a rib injury and were taken to hospital by the on-scene paramedics. “Both are recovering well,” Nick DeFazio, public relations officer with Ottawa Fire, told Stittsville Central.
When asked about the cause of the fire, Nick shared “the cause is undetermined after investigation, electrical – maybe. The loss is projected at $600,000.”
Nick was also asked about the number of fires occurring recently. He told us, “cooking not monitored in kitchens and cigarettes not being extinguished properly.” For information on fire safety, prevention and education, visit the Ottawa Fire Services information on the City of Ottawa website.
Sadly the inside of the Fernbank Road home is gutted and the windows now boarded, but the four strong stone walls still stand to remind us of the Flewellyn family and their long connection to our community.
In January 2016, the well-known Flewellyn-Jones house was given heritage designation. The Flewellyn family who constructed the home in 1886, were known by many as community leaders with their contribution to the Wesley Methodist Church (Stittsville United Church), celebrating 180 years in Stittsville this year, and the building of the old SS# rural school in their area.
For further historical information on the Flewellyn-Jones home read these articles written by Glen Gower (with input from Bernie Shaw) in Stittsville Central: