Emergency crews in Hamilton are battling an early morning third alarm commercial fire that has closed down several streets in the north-end.
Hamilton police say the building at the corner of Wellington and Ferrie Streets continued to burn into the morning and first responders remain on scene working to extinguish the blaze.
Calls reporting the fire came into police around midnight, prompting road restrictions to come into place as the work began to tame the flames.
“The fire was in the roof area. We immediately upgraded the alarm, in fact this alarm has gone to a third alarm fire,” said Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe.
Cunliffe described it as “a very stubborn and difficult fire to fight”, saying the fire department is utilizing both drone and aerial technology to assess and extinguish the flames.
At this time Wellington Street remains closed from Ferrie Street, along with Victoria Avenue which is blocked off at Shaw and Simcoe Streets between Wellington and Ferguson.
Residents in the area are being asked to shutter their windows and doors as the smoke continues to blow and drivers to avoid the area.
Closures are expected to remain in effect for several hours as they continue to fight the fire.
Hamilton Health Sciences has additionally confirmed that despite the extensive closures in the area, access to the Hamilton General Hospital has not been affected.
Cunliffe says no one was inside the building when the fire began and no injuries have been reported.
Concerns are growing, however, over the possibility of ice forming in the area given the volume of water being used and the sharp changes expected in temperatures by the end of the day.