One person injured, three neighbouring homes damaged during house fire in Petawawa

One person suffered smoke inhalation after a structural fire that damaged three neighbouring homes on Riverstone Trail in Petawawa

On May 19, a fire broke out around 5:48 p.m. in the garage of the first home which then quickly spread to nearby houses. Though there was one injured, all occupants and their pets were able to evacuate.

"When we arrived on scene, the second house was already involved," said Town of Petawawa Fire Chief Steve Knott. "The first house was already fully involved, and the second house on the delta (right) side was on fire and the third house, the siding was melting."

Firefighters were able to contain the fire, preventing it from spreading to more homes. The original home is a total loss while the second is uninhabitable. The house on the left side still stands with some structural damage.

"Two out of three are a write-off," said Knott, evaluating the damages to be at least $800,000.

The Upper Ottawa Valley Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the County of Renfrew Paramedics and the National Defence Fire Service Garrison Petawawa were on location to assist. Twenty-four town firefighters and four fire apparatuses were used to contain the blaze. Members worked throughout the night and into the following morning to extinguish hot spots.

The cause is currently under investigation.

This is the third structure fire in Petawawa in four weeks. This matches the provincial trend as there has been a spike in house fires since physical distancing rules have been put in place.

Fire fatalities in Ontario have risen by about 55 per cent since this time last year, said Knott.

"The Town of Petawawa Fire Department would like to remind the public to make sure they have working smoke alarms for early detection," said Knott. "Also, it is important to have a fire escape plan and to make sure that they practice that plan."

To donate to help the families, two GoFundMe pages can be found here and here.