House burns down after residents lit candles during power outage

A house on River Road in Ottawa's south end was heavily damaged by fire Monday night, after residents lit candles during a power outage.

A house on River Road in Ottawa's south end was heavily damaged by fire Monday night after residents lit candles during a power outage.

Firefighters arrived on scene at 9:11 p.m. and found the home near the Ottawa International Airport fully engulfed in flames, according to officials with the Ottawa Fire Services (OFS).

Residents told firefighters that candles they'd been using during the power outage had fallen over and started a fire.

The house's address matches a home currently listed for sale online for $750,000. It's described as a one-and-a-half-storey, three-bedroom waterfront property. 

Everyone who was in the home at the time was able to get out safely before crews arrived. 

“As there are no hydrants nearby, firefighters pumped water from the nearby river and used tanker shuttles to bring water from a hydrant in the area,” according to a statement from OFS. 

Thunderstorm, tornado warning

Earlier in the evening, Ottawa was under a severe thunderstorm and tornado warning, and the storm left thousands of residents without power.

Firefighters found downed hydro wires blocking the access road to the property when they arrived on scene.

“The wind was blowing the flames toward a neighbouring home which stood a few metres away to the north. Firefighters have extinguished the fire and prevented the fire from causing serious damage to the neighbouring homes,” fire officials said.

The Canadian Red Cross and the Salvation Army will provide assistance to the residents who were displaced.

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