2 found dead following fire in Gatineau, Que. apartment building

Gatineau police at the scene of a high-rise where two people were found dead following an apartment fire. May 6, 2026. (Mike Mersereau/CTV Your Morning Ottawa)

Two people are dead following a fire at an apartment building in Gatineau early Wednesday morning.

The fire broke out in the 16-storey building on rue Laurier in the Hull sector at around 2 a.m.

Gatineau police said officers went to the high-rise for a wellness check overnight, saw a fire in an apartment, and called firefighters.

The two victims were found unconscious in a fourth-floor unit. Police said they were pronounced dead at the scene.

The fire was under control by 3:30 a.m.

Leah Charlebois is a resident of 225 rue Laurier, and told CTV News Ottawa she was awakened by the sound of fire alarms.

“A little before 2 a.m., we started hearing the fire alarm,” she said. “I’m on the 10th floor. It was pretty scary getting down. We were kind of smelling [smoke] more and more as we were going downstairs. Outside, there were around 50 people, lots of fire trucks, paramedics and police officers.”

Charlebois says residents who evacuated waited about an hour before STO buses arrived to keep people comfortable. She says flames were not visible outside the high-rise.

“We were allowed to go back home around 4:20 a.m., and the alarms stayed on until maybe 5 or 6 a.m.,” she said.

“I woke up to family and friends sending me the article, and I didn’t expect it. I thought, you know, no fire, everyone seemed okay. It’s pretty sad to hear ... and I feel very sorry for the two people that didn’t make it.”

Around 30 people have been displaced, according to a news release, and are being helped by the Red Cross.

Gatineau police are investigating.

“For the time being, in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation and out of respect for the families of the deceased, no further details will be released,” police said in a news release, translated from French.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Tyler Fleming

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