1 person in critical condition after Hamilton fire causes $1.5M in damages

Emergency crews in Hamilton battled a multiple-alarm fire in the Kirkendall North neighbourhood Thursday morning that left one man in critical condition and caused nearly $1.5 million in damages.

Smoke could be seen filling the sky, coming from the back of two houses on Melbourne Street between Dundurn Street South and Poulette Street.

Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe says crews located an individual on the first floor of one of the houses and they were taken to hospital in critical condition.

The fire was reportedly so intense that it completely burned off the roof of both houses, resulting in structural collapse.

At one point, there were over 50 firefighters on scene battling the blaze, including four aerial ladder trucks.

Fire crews rescued five pets from the home, four dogs and one cat, who are all expected to survive.

Cunliffe said they do not know how the fire started at this time, but there is an estimated $1.5 million worth of damages to the two homes.

The Office of the Fire Marshall has been called to help crews determine the cause of the fire.

Police have closed Melbourne Street while firefighters continue to put out hot spots, and the closure could last into tomorrow.