Man dead after fire at west Ottawa seniors' residence
One person has died after a fire at an Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) seniors' residence in Kanata.
Emergency crews were called to the building on Penfield Drive just before 11:30 p.m. on Friday, a spokesperson for Ottawa Fire Services said.
When firefighters arrived, they encountered smoke on the first floor of the two-storey building.
They rescued one person, performed CPR and were able to restore his pulse and get him breathing again, according to the fire service.
Ottawa Fire Services crews clean up after the fire overnight Friday. (Radio-Canada)
"They tried to bring him back," said Belinda Demers, who lives across the hallway from the man's apartment. She had gone outside feeling like "a pile of nerves" when the fire alarm went off.
Paramedics said they took the man, who had severe burns, to the hospital. He later died of his injuries.
Fire marshal investigating
In an emailed statement, OCH said its thoughts are with the family and the loved ones of the person who died as well as residents of the building.
Demers said the man kept to himself but once offered her homemade soup.
The fire was "scary because it's so close," she said.
"And it's sad. It's very sad that he passed."
Belinda Demers lives across the hallway from the apartment where the man lived. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)
Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the unit where it started and residents were allowed back inside the building.
The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is now leading the investigation, with help from fire and police services. The OFM typically investigates when a fire proves fatal.
