No working smoke alarms during Hamilton house fire that killed four: officials

A fire that claimed the lives of four people, including two children, last week began on a living room couch on the main floor of a Hamilton Mountain townhouse that had no working smoke alarms, officials say.

The Ontario Fire Marshal says the sofa prevented the family from escaping the late night blaze at 14 Derby St. on Dec. 29.

“All of the occupants were on the second floor at the time of the fire,” said Jon Pegg in a news conference Tuesday.

“Due to the location of the fire and the configuration of the residence, the fire blocked their ability to descend through the stairwell.”

WATCH MORE: Overnight Hamilton house fire leaves 4 dead, including 2 children

Hamilton police were called to help with the fire and found six people inside who were taken to hospital.

Two adults and two children were later pronounced dead after firefighters pulled them from the house, while two other adults were in stable condition as of early Friday morning.

Police have yet to confirm the victims’ identities, the relation between them or details about the other two people who survived.

WATCH MORE: WATCH: Hamilton Fire Department to discuss fatal fire on Derby St.

Witnesses said neighbours rushed towards the burning home with ladders as children inside yelled for help.

Hamilton Fire Chief David Cunliffe says the department is working with the city’s legal team to lay charges against the owner of the townhome for failing to have a working smoke alarm.

While the on-scene portion of the investigation is now complete, Pegg says they are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

“This is a very in-depth and comprehensive process, which involves lab analysis and modelling,” he said.

Pegg says there were 133 fire-related deaths in Ontario in 2022, which is the highest total in over two decades.

He urged residents to ensure they have working smoke alarms and have practiced home fire escape plans prepared to prevent more deaths.