'Mayday mayday': Firefighter crashes through burning townhouse floor

It was a harrowing few minutes for fire crews responding to a working fire in a west London, Ont. condominium townhouse complex early Tuesday morning.

Crews witnessed one of their own fall through the floor of a townhouse unit filled with flames.

They arrived at the townhouse unit, located at 495 Oakridge Dr., at around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Minutes later they made entry into the building and soon after that came the call over the firefighter radios, “Mayday, we have a firefighter gone through the floor. Mayday, mayday, mayday; gone through the floor."

It happened fast, but within three minutes of the fall, the firefighter was out of the basement.

Firefighters are surrounded by smoke as they battle a blaze at 495 Oakridge Dr. in London, Ont. on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. (London Fire Department)

Platoon Chief Kirk Loveland says it was a textbook response to a dangerous situation, including the firefighter using the fire hose to slow his fall and then protect himself.

"We do that training, firefighter survival training out at the old Station 11, where we practice these types of things. You use that hose to come down and then he still had that hose with him in the hole to protect himself from the fire."

At the same time, other members of the team quickly grabbed a ladder so he could climb to safety. Loveland says the firefighter was taken to hospital by Middlesex-London EMS to be checked over.

"Firefighter's in good spirits. He has been released. He's sore and stiff but he will be fine."

London firefighters battle a blaze in a condo unit at 495 Oakridge Dr. on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. (Gerry Dewan / CTV London)

The recently constructed townhouse unit was unoccupied, with neighbours saying the owners were set to take possession at the end of January.

There's a steep decline off the back of the complex facing Riverside Drive and police had to close a small section of Riverside to allow an aerial truck to position there. It reopened around 11 a.m.

Fire crews spent much of the morning exposing and dousing hotspots after flames gutted the building.

District Chief Chris Walch says the fire spread fast, "It is lightweight construction which can cause problems to us. It burns very quickly, becomes unsafe quickly."

Damage from the fire is estimated at a million dollars. Investigators from London fire, London police and the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office were on scene at various points through the day.

Police say the fire has been deemed suspicious and the investigation has been assigned to the Street Crimes Unit.

Neighbours declined to speak on camera but say police have been reviewing surveillance footage from other units in the complex.

- With files from CTV News London's Justin Zadorsky