A child is in hospital following a townhouse fire on Towercrest Drive in Hamilton.
In an interview with CP24, Fire Chief Dave Cuncliffe said Hamilton Fire received reports of a structure fire at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Sunday. When crews arrived on scene, they were greeted by heavy smoke. Neighbours told firefighters that there was a possibility of a child still inside the unit.
The child was found on an upper floor with no vital signs and quickly removed from the building. Firefighters began doing CPR and other life-saving measures, and were able to revive the child before turning them over to paramedics.
Cuncliffe said the fire was on the main floor of the home, and that firefighters were “very quickly” able to knock it down and “get it under control.”
“The unit itself has sustained some significant damage,” he said, estimating the damage to be about $350,000. He added that the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office has been notified of the incident due to the nature of the fire and the injuries to the child.
According to Cuncliffe, Christmastime tends to see the highest level of fire-related deaths and injuries each year.
“We urge people to make sure they have working smoke alarms,” he said. “A smoke alarm might be the difference between injury or loss of life.”
