Dog chewing heated ski glove sparks fire in Orléans home

Ottawa firefighters acted quickly Thursday morning to extinguish a blaze that began when a family's dog chewed a heated ski glove, causing its battery to ignite.

Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) said they were first alerted to the fire in a two-storey home on Bevington Walk in Orléans by an alarm monitoring company. The company also notified the homeowner, who had confirmed the fire by viewing interior security footage and who was also racing to the scene.

Passersby also called 911 to report the fire.

Firefighters arrived within four minutes and found heavy smoke and flames shooting from a ground floor window.

Firefighters used a hose to battle the blaze, then entered through the front door and searched the home for occupants. They located the family dog and rescued the animal, which was not injured.

The fire was declared under control within about 10 minutes.

Fires caused by pets are common, but "the way this fire started was extremely rare," said OFS spokesperson Nick DeFazio.

Security camera footage confirmed the dog had found a heated ski glove equipped with a lithium-ion battery and began chewing it on a couch, damaging the battery. It ignited, sparking the fire.

In the video, a large black and tan dog can be seen chewing the glove, which then begins smoking. The dog jumps off the couch and watches for a moment before leaving the room, while flames spread from the glove to a blanket on the couch.

After ensuring there was no residual fire, firefighters used high-pressure fans to ventilate the home. An adult and a child have been displaced as a result of the fire, OFS said.

OFS is using the incident to remind people that lithium-ion batteries can pose a serious safety risk if they are "damaged, punctured, crushed, or improperly handled."

The owner of the house agreed to share the video with the fire department, DeFazio said.

"The goal was to use it as a fire prevention tool.... He was very kind to let us use that to spread the awareness." 

The incident also highlights the usefulness of monitored smoke alarms because "the second the smoke touches those alarms, the monitoring company calls us and dispatches us right away," DeFazio said.