Early morning fire displaces 10 children, 5 adults in Hamilton

Fifteen people have been forced out of their homes after an early morning fire broke out in a multi-use building on Friday.

Crews responded to reports of a fire at the Redfan convenience store on Queen St. South around 4 a.m.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke conditions inside the variety store on the main floor of the three-storey building and in the basement apartment.

“A number of people including children were still in the building and could be seen at the windows on the second and third floors,” said the Hamilton Fire Department in a news release. “Crews simultaneously initiated a rapid search and rescue on the upper floors and an aggressive interior attack in the basement and first floor.”

All 15 residents were safely taken out of the building and the blaze was quickly knocked down.

Crews managed to keep the fire contained to the basement and first floor while the rest of the building suffered some smoke damage.

No one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire is cooking related.

The Red Cross was called in to help the residents find alternate accommodations.

Officials are reminding residents that cooking related fires continue to be one of the leading causes of fires in residential homes and Hamilton Fire would like to remind citizens to always use safe cooking practices.