Two separate house fires involving suspected explosions in Hamilton sent three people to the hospital on Thursday morning, with one in critical condition, firefighters say. Speaking from the scene, Hamilton Fire Chief David Cunliffe told CP24 that one incident happened at a home at 8 Lampton Place in the city’s east end just after 9 a.m. He said a structure was “fully involved” when crews arrived and showed signs of an explosion, adding that this fire is suspected to be gas-related. “We got reports from crews of significant smoke, black smoke plumes in the air,” he said. Neighbours and a person from a nearby industrial business helped rescue the two elderly residents from the home, he added. Cunliffe said they were both taken to the hospital, with one in “critical, life-threatening” condition and the other in serious condition. Speaking to CP24, local resident Frank recalled hearing a loud “whoomp” before witnessing the home’s front windows blown completely onto the lawn. “The front of the house was caved in, and then I saw a small fire, and then smoke, and then the fire got bigger and bigger, and then it just went to an inferno,” he said. The fire is now under control, and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office and Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) have been notified. At this time, Cunliffe estimates the total damage to be about $750,000. “This is not a norm in Hamilton. We don’t get a lot of buildings that explode... and to have two in the same day within hours is really not something that we get a lot of,” he said. Neighbours pull woman out of rubble William Knowles, who lives a few houses away on Shynal Avenue, recounted hearing a loud explosion while he was watching the news. He said he ran out and saw the house on fire. Wearing just his underwear, Knowles said he grabbed a fire extinguisher from his home and ran out next door. “A couple of neighbours were hauling a gentleman out,” Knowles remembered. “We asked if there was anybody else on the property, and they said yeah. He says, ‘My wife, my wife.’” Knowles said he and the couple then returned to the home, and they pulled a woman out of the rubble. “I was like, ‘Pull her by the arms,’ and we got her out. There was debris falling all over and flames, and we got her out and took her to safety,” he recounted. Knowles also remembered seeing a “smouldering dog” that ran out as they were rescuing the woman. Knowles said he had to get checked for smoke inhalation. “I’m pretty shook up. You don’t see this stuff happen in your neighbourhood all the time,” he said. “I just hope for the well-being of the people that we did pull out.” ‘Large debris field’ The other fire, roughly 20 mins away, happened at 182 Springside Dr. on Hamilton Mountain earlier this morning, just after 7:30 a.m. where crews found a fully involved structure and a “large debris field,” according to the fire chief. There, one person suffered burns and was taken to the city’s burn unit in serious condition. “We had a fire burning in what was a garage that had exploded,” Cunliffe said. “We very quickly updated the alarm to a multiple alarm (incident) bringing resources across the city to the scene.” That fire was also brought under control, but Cunliffe said its cause remains uncertain. In an update to reporters at around 1 p.m., Cunliffe noted that crews later discovered “significant damage” at two nearby homes. It’s unclear whether the occupants of those homes were injured. The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), and the gas company have also been notified about this incident. Cunliffe said there is “absolutely no link” between the two fires.
