Fire at townhouse complex causes $1M in damage

The suspected cause of the Stoney Creek blaze was careless disposal of smoking material

A pair of Stoney Creek townhomes were rendered temporarily uninhabitable Thursday due to a blaze that drew nearly four dozen firefighters.

Hamilton fire crews responded to 503 Highway 8, near Dewitt Road, around 4:30 p.m. for reports of a fire in a unit garage.

Hamilton fire Chief Dave Cunliffe said firefighters were met with a fully involved blaze that had extended through the garage’s roof and partially into a home next door.

The call was upgraded to a multiple-alarm fire after a person in one of the affected homes drove his car — while it was on fire — from his driveway to a nearby parking lot in the residential complex.

Crews first doused the fire in the garage before taking down an adjoining wall between the two units to limit its spread, Cunliffe said. Soon after, additional units arrived to extinguish the engulfed car that had been moved from the driveway.

Cunliffe said tenants in both units exited prior to firefighters’ arrival. One resident with minor burns was assessed by paramedics on scene.

The homes are now too damaged for re-entry, he added, with repairs pegged at around $1 million. The suspected cause of the fire is careless disposal of smoking material.

While the blaze was limited to two units, some neighbours were thrown for a loop when their smoke detectors went off.

“My garage was covered in smoke and it was coming through my kitchen,” said Sandra Erdei, who lives a few doors down from the affected townhomes. “My guess is it travelled through the vents. It was startling.”

A few big holes could be seen in the roof overtop the garage where the fire started, its shingles charred and driveway covered in soot. Meanwhile, the back half of the moved car, a Honda Civic, had its bumper melted and rear window shattered.

“It really surprised me to see the owner get into that car,” said neighbour Karen Sachs, who phoned 911 when she spotted smoke from her backyard. “It was completely on fire and it could’ve been dangerous.”

A person in one of the affected homes drove his car — while it was on fire — from his driveway to a nearby parking lot