Massive apartment fire in Hamilton causes nearly $1M in damages

A massive fire early Thursday in a three-storey apartment building in Hamilton’s east end has caused nearly $1 million in damages.

Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe says “careless use of smoking materials” caused the blaze to ignite around 6:45 a.m. in a bedroom on the first floor of the building located at 193 Balmoral Ave. North near Cannon Street.

“This was a well-involved fire,” Cunliffe says.

“It got into the walls and floors and spread across all three floors, as well as going up.”

Emergency crews say residents on the main floor escaped.

READ MORE: 2 people in critical condition following house fire near Centre Mall

There was no one inside of the second-floor apartment at the time of the fire.

While residents on the third floor self-evacuated onto the roof of a building beside them.

“I looked around and saw some people out with blankets on them, I guess they escaped,” one neighbour told CHCH News.

“I saw some people up on the roof next door… There were probably around a dozen trucks blocking off the roads.”

READ MORE: Tenants above Charred restaurant detail nightmare fallout from devastating fire

Next door neighbours sprang into action, helping to ensure everyone in the burning building and another nearby building safely got out.

Firefighters immediately used a ladder to help the three people get off the roof safely.

Multiple units from across Hamilton came to battle the blaze, taking them almost 30 minutes to bring it under control.

One resident of the building says he lost all of his belongings. “Everything is gone,” Zoltan Balla says.

READ MORE: House fire in Hamilton’s Stipley neighbourhood causes $800K in damages

“My neighbour gave me this sweater. I don’t have anything… I lost everything. My TV, my phone, everything.”

Balla, his wife and son will be able to stay in a hotel for a few days, but they’re not sure where they’ll go after that.

Two residents of the first-floor apartment were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.