Fire at tavern takes bite out of roof
A cigarette disposed of in a flowerpot is to blame for a small fire at the trendy Aberdeen Tavern.
Hamilton Fire Service spokesperson Claudio Mostacci said the flowerpot was on a deck on the roof of the Aberdeen Avenue business. The fire in the pot burned down into the deck, bringing multiple units to the restaurant at about 2:30 p.m. Monday.
It was initially called in as a possible fire in a wall.
Firefighters were on the scene for less than two hours, and damage was about $2,000 but Mostacci said the fire did leave a small hole in the roof.
Restaurant staff and customers were escorted out of the building, along with the staff and clients at Audrey’s, a hair salon beside the tavern.
The business is just west of Dundurn Street South. It opened in April 2014 at the site of a former bank and the Seven Windows restaurant.
Traffic, including city buses, was rerouted off Aberdeen through the neighbourhood while firefighters worked. There were no injuries. Meanwhile, a man using a metal grinder at his home on Rebecca Street, near Mary Street, gave himself a scare Mon- day at the dinner hour. He was using the equipment near a window and sparks landed in some wood.
The wood began smouldering, so he called 911 and sprayed it with a garden hose. Multiple units attended but firefighters were soon sent on their way.