Fire on Fowler Street in Richmond displaces family of five

UPDATE: Neighbours have set up a fundraising page to help the family displaced by the fire: “The Purdy family from Richmond ON suffered a devastating loss yesterday when a fire completely destroyed their home. My son attends school with one of their children and I have reached out to the family to see where assistance is most needed. They are extremely appreciative and a little overwhelmed at the outpouring of community spirit. They are currently figuring out the logistics of where they will live, etc so although donations of clothing and furniture are thoughtful, at this point in time the family has nowhere to store anything. This page has been set up so that those who wish to help can provide some financial relief to the family during a very difficult time. There may be other ways to donate/help in the future, this is just a starter so that they can purchase the basic necessities for their family for the time being.”

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(via Ottawa Fire Services)

Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) received a call from a resident at 3:02 p.m. indicating that there was thick black smoke coming from their home at 27 Fowler Street in Richmond.  The caller confirmed that there were no persons inside the residence. 

Upon arrival the first firefighter confirmed an active fire with smoke visible from the front door. Crews began an aggressive offensive attack in the basement of the home while some firefighters searched the upstairs and attic of the home for additional fire spread.

However, the structure was evacuated urgently at 3:24 p.m. because of the floor at the entrance of the home collapsing.  All firefighters evacuated safely and no injuries were reported as a result of the structural collapse.

Firefighters continued working on the outside of the home with firefighters targeting the seed of the fire which appeared to originate in the basement. Other firefighters were tasked with monitoring the fire conditions elsewhere in the structure.  In addition, firefighters were assigned to complete salvage operations and attempt to protect items in the two car attached garage.

The fire conditions continued to escalate and required a second alarm assignment to be declared at 4:02 p.m. The crews operated on the outside of the home for safety.

The fire was deemed under control at 5:16 p.m. An Ottawa Fire Services Investigator is currently on scene assessing the damages and investigating the possible source of the fire. Our partners at the Salvation Army and Red Cross are dispatched and volunteers will assist two adults and three children that have been displaced. We thank these agencies for their continued support and assistance when fires disrupt people’s lives.

Crews will be on scene for a number of hours to complete operations and ensure scene safety.  We would like to thank area residents for their cooperation and patience.

 

Ottawa Fire Services would like to remind residents:

  • Call 9-1-1 as soon as it is safe to do so.  Remember, you are our eyes and ears to the emergency.  Our Dispatch staff will ask questions to help best locate the caller and assess the conditions surrounding the emergency.  We encourage you to remain calm, answer the Dispatcher’s questions and to stay on the line until advised to hang up.
  • Be cautious if driving in the affected area.  Residents are asked to remain off the roads and keep a safe distance from the fire scene.  Best practice if you reside in the area is to remove your cars from the street and park them in your laneway and remain in your home.
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