Four people rescued from burning Kitchener home

The Kitchener Department says its crews rescued four people from the second floor of a burning home early Wednesday morning.

Firefighters responded to the townhouse complex on Courtland Avenue near Block Line Road around 2 a.m.

Smoke and flames were heavy when crews arrived, the fire department said.

Firefighters used ladders to reach the second floor and pulled the two adults and two children to safety.

They were taken to hospital as a precaution.

Kitchener Fire said the flames started in the basement.

“There was smoke getting up into the second floor, main floor, second floor,” said Dave Heuchert, the fire prevention officer.

As of 8:30 a.m., the flames were out and one fire truck remained at the scene.

The cause hasn't been determined yet and fire crews said it is too early to say if it is consider suspicious.

Damage is estimated at around $600,000.

A fire truck is seen in front of a townhouse complex on Courtland Avenue East in Kitchener on Nov. 22, 2023. (Chris Thomson/CTV Kitchener)

NEIGHBOURS EVACUATED

Neighbour Peter Nicholson said he was woken up by fire crews and told to get out.

"He asked if there was anyone else in the apartment. I said 'yeah, upstairs.' So I went and woke him up and then we were all asked to go outside, and we were outside for about an hour and a half," Nicholson said. "[I] just saw the water and the smoke coming out of the back."

Kerry Mak-Kipling and Brian Kipling live in the townhouse complex and were asleep in their unit just down the hall when they were woken up by their cats sensing something was wrong.

““Loud loud loud banging, we didn’t know what was going on. He stuck his head out to see what was going on down the hall. Was told ‘get back in sir, get back in, close the door,’” said Mak-Kipling.

Neighbours said they were outside for close to two hours before being allowed back inside.

“We’re just happy that everyone got out safe,” said Mak-Kipling.

A home sits surrounded by fire tape. (Chris Thomson/CTV Kitchener)