One dead, Nine flee blazing house in central Hamilton

One person has died and nine people escaped a major house fire at 69 Century street in central Hamilton this morning, four of them were taken to hospital. On arrival crews reported a two and a half storey residential home with heavy smoke and flame venting from the front of the house, with exposures to the houses on either side. They also reported that there was a person trapped at a window on the second floor, one person on a covered porch roof and two people on the roof of the house next door, with additional people self evacuating the building. The person who was on the covered porch roof jumped to the ground to escape the heat and smoke just as firefighters arrived. Firefighters using ground ladders were able to quickly rescue the person from the second floor window and the two people from the roof of the adjacent house. Medical treatment was provided to all four at the scene by firefighters and Paramedics prior to them all being transported to hospital. A fifth and sixth person who were in the house at the time of the fire were also assessed by Paramedics at the scene with one being transported to the hospital and the other refusing treatment. Three additional people got out of the burning home on their own, making the  a total of nine people in the house at the time of the fire. As the rescues were being completed firefighters entered the building to perform search and rescue and interior firefighting operations. Interior crews reported well fire on both the first and second floors, with heavy fire in the walls and between the floors. With the fire conditions rapidly deteriorating inside the structure and fire breaking through the roof the interior crews were evacuated due to safety concerns. It took two aerial ladders with large volume water streams and additional exterior handlines to protect the homes on either side and bring the fire under control. It was only after the fire was extinguished that crews were able to re-enter the residence, and it was then that they found the body of a victim. It is estimated that damage will be in excess of $850,000.00. The Office of the Fire marshal has been notified and will be responding to assist with the investigation.