Ottawa police are inspecting the scene of a fire in a downtown rooming house for women after reports that a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the first-floor window around 11:39 p.m. Saturday.
Thirty-three firefighters in 13 vehicles responded to the blaze at 230 Nepean St. and had the fire under control by midnight.
The fire was confined to the first-floor bedroom. One person was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but was not taken to hospital.
The damage to the building is estimated at $75,000 and contents around $25,000.
The building is a rooming house for around 20 women. Most of them are new to Canada and looking for short-term accommodations.
Yuka Uramo had moved into the building two weeks ago. She was at a friend’s house when, on Saturday night, other friends called her to tell her that her building was on fire, causing her to rush back.
Though she hasn’t been inside yet, she’s been told that her room is “OK.”
Ottawa fire inspectors were on scene yesterday to confirm the cause of the fire.
This is the second fire to affect a women’s residence in a week. Firefighters continue to investigate a fire at Cornerstone women’s shelter on MacLaren Street that killed a 61-year-old woman last Sunday.
