An Ottawa firefighter is credited with saving the lives of two colleagues after all three of them leaped from a third-floor window of a burning building on Monday.

Lieut. John Chatterton remained in hospital in stable condition Tuesday after surgery to repair a broken femur, shattered elbows and burns he received as he escaped a fire that ravaged two three-storey apartment buildings near the Tunney's Pasture government complex.

'It feels like sunburn, and then it grows from there. It's the most heat I've ever been in. It burned me through my gear.'— Firefighter Les Witham

Les Witham and Carissa Campbell jumped out the window with him and were sent to hospital with minor injuries, but both had been released by Tuesday.

Witham said they might not be alive if Chatterton had not helped him and Campbell navigate through the searing heat and smoky blackness.

"Really I fell like [Chatterton], who's the one who led us out of there, saved our lives at that point," said Witham, who has a 13-month old daughter and a pregnant fiancée.

Witham, who has been a with the Ottawa fire department for nine years, said he, Chatterton and Campbell went into the burning building to search for residents who might be trapped inside.

Once they had searched the top floor, they began going down the stairs, but the heat was so intense that they had to turn back.

The three firefighters pushed their way back up the stairs only to find the temperature equally intolerable there.

"It feels like sunburn, and then it grows from there," Witham said. "It's the most heat I've ever been in. It burned me through my gear."

He said contrary to earlier reports, there was no flash or explosion, but the smoke was so thick that he could not see his hand in front of his face.

Despite the disorienting conditions, Chatterton, a 24-year-veteran of the fire department, found the window in the front room.

Campbell, who had only spent five months on the job, was the first to jump. She chipped her teeth and injured her back in the fall.

Witham went next, but lowered himself to a second-storey window sill before dropping and suffered only a few burns. He expects to be back at work on Thursday.

Chatterton jumped last and suffered the most serious injuries.

Two other firefighters jumped out the window of a different building, but an awning jutting from a lower floor broke their fall and they did not need to be hospitalized. In all, five firefighters were forced to leap from third-floor windows of the buildings, although initial reports said four did so.

Burnt-out homes to be torn down

Emergency crews spent the night watching over the buildings, which were at risk of collapsing after being gutted by fire, said Ottawa police Sgt. Brad Hampson.

"They're going to have to probably bring a machine in there — a high hoe — to tear it down after they have a look at it, the inspectors and stuff," he said.

Meanwhile, around 30 former residents of the Ottawa Community Housing buildings destroyed by the fire are staying at shelters, hotels or with friends and family. Many had too little warning to pack even an overnight bag.

Non-profit organizations are trying to make sure they have food, clothing and accommodation for the next few days, said Canadian Red Cross spokeswoman Alice D'Anjou.

"What we're hearing is these folks will be out for several days if not permanently," she said.