(The October 6, 2021 fire that engulfed a number of townhouses under construction at the Mattamy Homes ‘Connections in Kanata’ development at Culdaff Road and Ballinora Lane in Stittsville. Photos: via Ottawa Fire Services and photographer Jean Lalonde)
Multiple 911 calls starting at 18:07 were received at the Ottawa Fire Services Communications Division from callers reporting heavy smoke and flames coming from a new development that was under construction near Culdaff Road and Ballinora Lane in Stittsville. The development has three blocks of homes that contain twelve townhomes in each block.
Several 911 callers reported that there were propane tanks outside of the homes that would create a hazard for the firefighters.
The first arriving crew confirmed that six units in one of the blocks was fully engulfed with flames and smoke and the other six units in the same block were beginning to be affected. The townhomes were all unoccupied and there was no power to the units, nor doors or windows installed. Crews on scene immediately cooled the propane tanks with water and began protecting the unaffected townhomes. At least 10 to 15 firetrucks were on scene. It is estimated that the loss of the 12 townhomes could amount to $6 million or more.
The fire was deemed under control at 19:00 and twenty-four of the thirty-six units were saved. One firefighter was assessed by paramedics for heat exhaustion and released back to the scene.
A fire investigator has been dispatched to the scene to determine the origin and cause of the fire. Fire trucks will rotate at the scene throughout the night to watch for flare ups.
