Senior in life-threatening condition with burns on 80 per cent of his body — but how?

A man in his 90s has been taken to hospital with life-threatening burns covering about 80 per cent of his body after an incident at a home in Waterdown.

It began as a medical call to a home on Niska Drive, near Fellowes Crescent, with Hamilton paramedics dispatched shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday.

Paramedics found the senior with severe burns covering most of his body and police were called, said Const. Indy Bharaj of the Hamilton police.

Hamilton fire was also dispatched and arriving crews saw smoke coming out of the home. Given the amount of smoke, the call was upgraded to a structure fire. However, there was no active fire found inside the home.

Bharaj said it's unclear where the fire occurred or how the man was burned.

Supt. Dave Thompson said Hamilton Paramedic Service transported a man in his 90s to hospital with extensive burns."

He was in critical, life-threatening condition," he said.

Police said there was another male in house, believed to be the senior's grandson, who was also home at the time.

Thompson said no one else was transported to hospital by paramedics.

In a statement late Thursday, the Ontario Fire Marshal's (OFM) office said it assigned investigators to probe the cause, origins and circumstances of the fire, but offered no other information.

It is too early to make any determinations and as the investigation has just begun, I cannot comment further at this time," spokesperson Sean Driscoll said via email.

Driscoll said the OFM is investigating the incident in conjunction with Hamilton police.

Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com