Three in hospital following house fire
Three people remain in hospital in critical, but non-lifethreatening condition after an “accidental” fire at an east Hamilton home Thursday morning.
A firefighter was also taken to hospital as a precaution with a heat-related condition.
Emergency services were called to the two-and-a-halfstorey home at 8 Lloyd St., northeast of Lottridge Street and Barton Street East, shortly after 5 a.m. for a fire on the second floor.
Hamilton firefighters were told a person was trapped and crews immediately started an “aggressive” search, said Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe.
Two people were rescued from the home — one on the first floor and one on the second floor. Five other people in the home escaped on their own.
Nextdoor neighbour, Mark, who didn’t give his last name, said his wife was woken up by pounding on their door from the residents who had escaped the fire.
When his wife looked outside, Mark said she could see flames “shooting out the side.”
“If it had been a couple of more minutes it might have popped onto our roof,” said Mark, noting their house was not damaged.
The fire was quickly brought under control, Cunliffe said. Damage is estimated at more than $250,000. Supt. Dave Thompson with the Hamilton Paramedic Service said they transported three injured patients from the home with burns and smoke inhalation.
A 30-year-old man was transported in critical, life-threatening condition; a 47-year-old man was transported in serious condition; and a 34-year-old woman was transported in serious condition.
By Thursday afternoon, Hamilton police said all three remained in the intensive-care unit in critical, but non-lifethreatening condition.
Speaking to The Spectator at the scene, Jeff Tebby, a supervisor with the Office of the Fire Marshal, said the house — which was a rental property — did not have any “working” smoke detectors.