A deadly fire at an apartment in the area of Fennell Ave. East and Upper Ottawa Street Thursday morning has killed one man and sent a woman to hospital.
Hamilton firefighters say they responded to a call at around 4:58 a.m., where upon arrival at a four storey apartment building they found two people that were missing vital signs.
“As crews were arriving, they reported heavy fire visible from the outside on the fourth floor,” said Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe. “Very quickly, they also learned that there may be people inside of the fourth floor apartment.”
“The initial crew found a person in the back of her bedroom. That person, unfortunately, has succumbed to their injuries. Crews went in and found a second person in the front room of the apartment — that person was rescued and transported to hospital.”
Paramedic Commander Dave Thompson said the man who died was in their 80s, and the woman who was sent to hospital was also in her 80s.
The fire chief said the apartment was heavily damaged with fire, contained to the one unit.
The building’s superintendent Dustyn Ciuffreda said the flames broke the windows and reported seeing glass flying everywhere.
“Fire alarms started going off, then two minutes later (Hamilton) Fire show up,” said the building superintendent Dustyn Ciuffreda. “Came to hear that one unit on the fourth floor was engulfed in flames, black smoke covering the halls of the units. The tenants actually couldn’t even get out and they were stuck on the balcony.”
Cunliffe said the cause of the fire is unknown. He also confirmed that a cat died in the fire Thursday morning.
Animal services were on the scene for a brief time.
The chief said Hamilton police have taken control of the fourth floor, holding it until the Ontario Fire Marshals arrive.
Detectives have closed down a stretch of Fennell Avenue as crews remain on the road, east of Upper Ottawa Street.