Donald Street construction site from two previous fires, evacuations

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The Donald Street apartment building fire that sent three people to the hospital in critical condition Thursday was the third major fire at the high-rise in the past 15 years.

Two children and an adult woman suffered serious smoke inhalation and other injuries in the early morning fire at 1244 Donald Street, one of two buildings collectively known as Capital Towers.

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The fire also forced the evacuation of more than 200 residents living on the first four floors. Six people were treated at the scene and five others were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, including smoke inhalation.

Deputy Fire Chief Nathan Adams said Friday that most residents have been allowed to return to their units, but the 56 people who live on the third floor, the location where the fire started, will be out of their homes “for an extended period of time.” “

Those residents occupy 16 units on the third floor.

“Floor three is currently secured for a fire investigation,” Adams said. “There is significant damage to that hallway and on that floor, and remediation efforts can only begin once the investigation is complete.”

This is not the first time residents of the Donald Street apartment building have been forced to relocate due to fire damage.

In February 2017, a fire that broke out on the ninth floor of the skyscraper displaced hundreds of tenants. Firefighters used ladders to remove some stranded tenants from their balconies.

The district’s fire chief told reporters at the time that the fire appeared to originate in an electrical conduit between the ninth and 10th floors, causing thick black smoke to fill the hallways.

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In August 2011, an explosion in an electrical panel caused a fire at 1244 Donald Street and forced residents throughout the building to seek alternative accommodations. They were away from their homes for two days while a temporary generator was installed to supply power to the building.

In September 2004, an electrical fire at 1240 Donald Street, the second skyscraper in the Capital Towers development, forced 1,000 people to leave their apartments for months.

Built in 1979 and opened as Sunrise Corners with 534 units, the high-rise apartment buildings are 45 years old. They now host a large contingent of Syrian refugees.

The Donald Street buildings are owned by Toronto-based Q Residential.

A company spokesperson declined to comment on the history of the building, but said: ““As we are sure you can appreciate, our team’s focus and priority at this time is supporting residents and staff, as well as the police and their investigation.”

The Ottawa Police Service’s arson unit is now working with Ottawa Fire Services and the Ontario Fire Marshal to determine the cause of Thursday’s fire.

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A source close to the investigation, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said there is evidence that an accelerant was used to start the fire.

Meanwhile, the entire building at 1244 Donald Street experienced a blackout Thursday night. Adams said Ottawa firefighters met at the scene at midnight and made sure auxiliary backup power was working properly and that the building’s emergency lights, sprinklers and fire alarms were operational.

“We had an emergency watch with our fire service to ensure the safety of the building during the night,” he added.

The Electrical Safety Authority and an electrical contractor were on site Friday, Adams said, to restore full power to the building.

Beacon-Hill Cyrville Councilor Tim Tierney said power was fully restored Friday afternoon. Tierney said the current owner, Q Residential, has invested heavily in updating the building since taking it over in 2015 and has been a responsive landlord.

“It will never be perfect,” he said, “but I have no doubt that the building is safe. I have no doubt about it.”

Adams said it is his understanding that both buildings had their electrical systems updated after the 2004 electrical fire at 1240 Donald Street.

The fire service, he said, assigned fire prevention officers to the building on Friday to ensure all units have working smoke alarms and to answer fire safety questions from residents.

Adams said fire alarms in the building were operational during Thursday’s fire.

The city of Ottawa said its emergency reception center at the Overbrook Community Center served 254 people after Thursday’s fire.

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