A fire that affected three vehicles in Westboro on Wednesday afternoon also damaged a nearby apartment building, but officials say it’s not being treated as suspicious.
Firefighters reported they received multiple calls about the flames shortly before 2:30 p. m., with early reports indicating that more than one vehicle was involved, according to a news release from Ottawa Fire Services (OFS).
The service confirmed that the fire on Whitby Avenue “extended to the exterior of the building due to the vehicle fire.”
“The middle vehicle was so consumed we were unable to determine what exactly caused the fire,” said OFS public information officer Nick De Fazio.
This photo shows two of the three cars that were burned by the Wednesday afternoon fire on Whitby Avenue. (Rockedouard Bosquet/ )
Firefighters initiated a “fast attack,” using a hose line inside the building. The blaze was brought under control approximately 15 minutes later.
Fans were then deployed to help clear out any lingering smoke from inside, according to the release.
“In the basement apartment right next to where the vehicles were, the windows gave out due to the heat, meaning they broke,” De Fazio said.
Although water damage occurred because of firefighters’ efforts to put out the flames, De Fazio stated no fire made it inside.
No injuries were reported, but two residents from basement apartments had to leave their homes temporarily, he added.
‘It looked like it was 30 storeys high’
Frédérick Bérubé was working remotely in his highrise apartment when his girlfriend noticed clouds of smoke rising from blocks away.
“[The smoke] went very high up and it looked like it was 30 storeys high,” he said.
Bérubé recorded a video of the smoke and shared it online; that’s how resident Angeline Shea discovered there was a fire right outside her bedroom window while she was at work.
“I didn’t know what I was coming back to,” Shea said.
De Fazio mentioned he couldn’t confirm if an explosion occurred, but sounds of tires bursting from intense heat might resemble explosions.
“That’s the most common thing,” he said. “When the wheels get hot really they do create a popping noise when they explode.”
Ottawa police have ruled out any suspicious activity and closed their investigation, De Fazio stated.
WATCH | Ottawa resident captures footage of vehicle fire in Westboro:
Ottawa resident captures plume of smoke from fire in Westboro
An Ottawa resident captured on video a large cloud of smoke above the Westboro neighbourhood on Aug. 5, 2026 where Ottawa Fire Services say a fire damaged multiple vehicles and also extended to th exterior of a building.
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