Scenes from the fire that took place on the evening of July 5 on Fourth Avenue near Lyon. The community responded with offers of support for the fire victims.
Glebe community rallies after Fourth Avenue fire
By Jessie-Lee Wallace
Ten people forced from their homes on Fourth Avenue near Lyon by a devastating fire in early July have all managed to find temporary housing in the Glebe, thanks to the efforts of family, friends and the neighbourhood.
Within hours of the blaze, Anne Curtner posted on Being Neighbourly The Glebe, a local Facebook group, in what turned out to be a successful search for an apartment that her elderly parents can stay in while their house is repaired.
“My parents are so relieved that everyone is alright, that pets and people are safe,” Curtner said in an interview. “They were away when the fire happened. Nobody wants to experience something like this, but it really helps knowing that there was a groundswell of community support. We are so grateful.”
Flames erupted around 10:37 on Saturday, July 5, prompting 911 calls about the visible smoke and fire. Residents say the blaze started in an attached garage and quickly spread to the four semi-detached houses, several outdoor decks and a garage.
Firefighters responded quickly and made two quick calls for reinforcements. Executing an “aggressive” attack by pulling down ceilings, opening walls and cutting holes in roofs, they were able to bring the three-alarm fire under control shortly after 11 p.m.
On Facebook, Carole Tremblay described the terror and confusion as shouts of “Fire!” rang out in the street and someone helped her scramble to get out of her house.
“I don’t know exactly who knocked on the door to get us all out,” she wrote. “I don’t know in which arms I cried. Who lent us a bottle of water, T-shirt, flip flops. If you recognized yourself, we are extremely grateful, we are infinitely grateful. Your generosity and goodness made us cry.”
One bystander, a 60-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries while watching the fire, but no one else was hurt.
The next morning, police still surrounded the site. From Fourth Avenue, broken windows and holes in the roofs were evident, but the view behind the houses from Lyon Street was even more chilling – the charred and tangled remains of decks, garages and a burned-out car.
If there is a silver lining to this story, it is the incredible outpouring of community support.
“The Glebe is a wonderful and responsive community,” says June Creelman, vice-president of the Glebe Community Association. “Almost immediately, I was receiving offers of support for those impacted by the fire.”
Creelman sent out a series of emails and received a flood of offers for supplies, clothing and leads on accommodation within the neighbourhood.
Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi visited the site the day after the fire and praised the quick response of the community in offering to help.
“The damage was a reminder of how we need one another in difficult times,” he posted on Facebook. “I was moved by the community stepping up – calling, visiting and offering homes to help.”
According to neighbours, the extensive damage to the homes is likely to take up to a year to repair. They will need to be stripped down to the studs due to extensive smoke and water damage.
Jessie-Lee Wallace is a writer, non-profit leader and volunteer who believes in the strength of local community. She lives in the Glebe Annex.