KANATA NORTH – It was an early morning for Station 45 firefighters who had to respond to a Scrampton Drive blaze before dawn today (April 30).

Their quick action kept damage to a minimum and injuries to zero for the home, a very nearby and the people who lived there.

“Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) received multiple 911 calls reporting lots of flame visible on the exterior wall of the home, the fire was reported to be spreading quickly,” OFS public information officer Jen McNeely released in a statement today (Apriil 30). “A working fire was declared upon arrival. The main body of the fire was knocked down on the outside of home but had spread to the eaves. It was quickly contained.”

The fire was confined to one wall and the attic. A neighbouring home, roughly four feet from the subject home, had damage to the siding on the nearby wall. The home was turned over to the care of the homeowners and the fire was declared under control at 6:01 a.m.

“There are no reported injuries at this time,” McNeely said. “An Ottawa Fire Investigator has been dispatched to the scene to determine the cause”

“When the smoke alarm sounds, get out fast,” McNeely said. “You may only have seconds to escape safely. Evacuate only if it is safe to do so. Take the stairs during an emergency and do not take the elevator. Smoke is toxic. If you must escape through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to your way out. Call 9-1-1 from a safe place and stay on the line until advised to hang up by the dispatchers.”

If you can safely evacuate close all doors behind you to prevent the spread of smoke and fire.

“Oxygen fuels fires so closing doors can help stop its growth,” McNeely said. “Also, closed doors offer additional protection from smoke or heat damage.”