174 residents who live in single-bedroom units at Hamilton’s Downtown YMCA are displaced following a fire in a third-floor unit of the James Street South building.
Two people have been admitted to hospital in intensive care, and the Ontario Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate.
The YMCA says the City of Hamilton and the Red Cross are assisting in turning the auxiliary gym of the full-block-long YMCA facility into a temporary shelter for the displaced residents.
The facility will be closed to the public on Tuesday and Wednesday to allow for the Fire Marshal investigation and to begin cleaning and repairing damage from the fire.
Hamilton Fire says they responded to an automated alarm conditions call at 12:22 p.m., when the first crews arrived, they found smoke on the second floor and immediately upgraded the call to a multiple-alarm fire, eventually dispatching as a fourth-alarm call.
Crews determined there was a fire in a third-floor residential unit, with heavy smoke on the third, fourth, and fifth floors.
Fire crews rescued 24 people from the people, including five who were rescued by aerial ladder.
“The fire was contained to the unit on the third floor,” says Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe. “However, not before it suffered significant fire damage.”
Chief Cunliffe states at the height of the firefighting and rescue effort, there were 23 fire department apparatus responding.
Hamilton paramedics had multiple units on scene, providing triage, and on-scene treatment for smoke inhalation. Paramedics also distributed water.
Damage is estimated at over $1-million.