Three boats went up in flames after a dramatic fire at the Petrie Island Marina early Thursday morning.
The blaze began around 4:30 a.m. at the Oziles' Marina and Tackle Shop off Trim Road, sinking one boat and damaging two others.
Ottawa Fire says when crews arrived two boats were fully engulfed in flames, but says it's unclear what started the fire.
"We had people sleeping on their boat. They were not even aware the fire was going on - they got awaken by the fire department," says Yves Grandmaitre, the owner of the marina.
Grandmaitre says luckily the mother and her two children were a few boats away from the blaze, and escaped uninjured but he says things could have ended much differently.
"If this would have occurred on a Saturday, we could have had half a dozen people sleeping on their boats," he says.
One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion, but no other injuries were reported.
On Thursday afternoon, a hazardous materials team was at the scene, cleaning up fuel that spilled out of the sunken boat.
Ottawa Fire says the Canadian Coast Guard was alerted about the situation.