Two adults and two children were killed when their home was consumed by fire in Hamilton, Ontario.
The home was located at 14 Derby Street, near Upper Gage Avenue and Rymal Road.
“We had a well-involved fire in a middle unit. We had fire showing both on the front and the back of the unit with heavy smoke,” Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe said at the scene.
First responders say a centre unit in a row of townhouses was “fully involved” with heavy smoke and fire visible from both the front and back of the unit, Cunliffe said.
Hamilton fire also received reports of people trapped on the upper floors.
Two adults and two children were located on the second floor and life-saving measures began. The four individuals were transported to the hospital where they later died from their injuries, Cunliffe said.
“This is absolutely a tragic scene for the family and our heartfelt goes out to all family members that may be involved, especially at this time of year,” he said.
Police say the Ontario Fire Marshal will be carrying the investigation into the fire, adding investigators are in the process of notifying family and next of kin about this “tragic” event.
The cost in damages of the fire, along with the cause, is not known at this time, Cunliffe says.
Two townhouse units on both sides of the fire unit were evacuated by crews and residents were allowed to return later in the morning. No other injuries were reported.
