2 kids, 1 adult killed in apartment fire near Hamilton waterfront

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Three people, including two children and an adult, were killed Sunday morning in an apartment fire near Hamilton’s waterfront.

Hamilton Fire Chief David Cunliffe said crews responding to the blaze at Pier Towers Apartment at 35 Brock St. were met with heavy smoke in the hallways and stairwells and multiple people trying to flee from the building.

“When the firefighters got to the first floor, to the apartment, we had fire blowing out of the apartment into the hallway,” Cunliffe told reporters at the scene of the fire, which broke out around 10 a.m.

“Extreme heat, extreme smoke, extreme flame. Firefighters tried to get into the apartment. They were forced back. They applied a firefighting water agent to the fire and quickly got it knocked down and were able to get into the apartment.”

About 60 firefighters and 20 paramedics responded to the three-alarm fire, which “deeply affected everyone involved,” Hamilton Paramedics said in a post on social media, while praising the efforts of all first responders who assisted in fighting the fire and evacuating residents.

“Hold your loved ones a little tighter tonight,” they said. “Let’s unite in supporting those affected by this tragedy.”

Hamilton Fire officials said there were “multiple rescues” while the building was being evacuated, with eight people treated by paramedics and transferred to hospital. Two others refused treatment at the scene, Hamilton Fire said.

The affected apartment and nearby hallway were “heavily damaged” during the blaze, fire officials said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the affected folks,” Cunliffe said.

Hamilton Fire officials said they had yet to determine the amount of damage done to the building, which Cunliffe described as “significant,” and the Ontario Fire Marshal had been notified about the blaze.

Residents of the apartment’s second floor were not being let back into their units with the Red Cross helping to provide shelter for them, Hamilton Fire said.

Cunliffe said they had yet to determine what caused the blaze.

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