Ottawa long-term care home evacuated after water pipe bursts

A city-run long-term care home had to be evacuated Saturday after a burst pipe caused water to cascade through the building.

Firefighters were called to Carleton Lodge shortly after 2:30 p.m. for a "significant flooding incident," Ottawa Fire Services said in a social media post.

Staff at the facility just off Prince of Wales Drive had reported water leaking from the second floor and were concerned part of the ceiling might be collapsing, OFS said.

When fire crews arrived, they found flooding in seven rooms on the first floor.

Water redirected out windows

They eventually got the situation under control, redirecting water out of the building's windows and removing toilets so that they could be used as temporary drains, the fire service said.

Some of the home's residents were picked up by family members, while others were taken to a different care home, OFS said.

The problem was a burst pipe in one wing of the facility, said Dean Lett, the city's long-term care director.

All residents are now safe and "have been accommodated on-site," Lett said in a statement to CBC.

"Additional resources are in place to provide support to residents and keep their families informed as we assess the situation and work to return to normal operations," he said.