Accidental fire caused $10M damage to Little Italy highrise
Monday's fire began in exterior garbage chute, investigators conclude
Ottawa fire investigators say Monday's fire at a Little Italy highrise that was under construction started by accident in the garbage chute and caused an estimated $10 million in damage.
Nobody was living in the student housing building on Champagne Avenue S., between Hickory and Beech streets, when it caught fire late Monday morning.
One worker suffered burns to his neck, but he wasn't seriously injured.
On Friday, Ottawa Fire Services announced the investigation, which was aided by the Ministry of Labour and the Office of the Fire Marshal, is complete.
According to investigators, the fire started in the exterior garbage chute before the flames rose up the 26-storey building, causing an estimated $10 million damage.
According to the department, such fires are often caused by the careless tossing of "smoking materials and/or chutes clogged by debris."
Smoking materials such as cigarette butts should always be thrown away in wind-resistant, non-flammable containers, never in garbage chutes, dumpsters, planters or mulch, the department cautioned in a news release..