Toddler remains in hospital following Hamilton Mountain fire that displaced family of 15

A two-year-old remains in hospital in critical but stable condition after being rescued from a house fire on the Mountain that sent 14 people to hospital Friday night.

Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) investigator Clive Hubbard said the child was found by firefighters on the main level of the home and was initially without vital signs, before being revived by Hamilton fire and paramedics.

The two-year-old was stabilized in hospital in Hamilton before being transferred to hospital in London, he said.

The child remained in critical, but stable condition Sunday, Hamilton police said.

The toddler was among 10 children and three adults taken to hospital as a consequence of the fire at 46 Garden Cres., just off East 24th Street, along with a firefighter who suffered minor injuries. A 15-person family lives in the home.

Nine of the children were taken to hospital as a precaution and were assessed for smoke inhalation. The two-year-old - who was initially reported to be five by Hamilton paramedics - was taken to hospital in critical, life-threatening condition."

Everyone taken to hospital, with the exception of the two-year-old, has been released, police said Saturday.

Emergency services were called to the two-storey, split-level home around 6:20 p.m. Friday. The first firefighters on scene were met with heavy smoke coming from the garage and front area of the home, Hamilton fire Chief Dave Cunliffe said Friday night. Most of the residents had already escaped the home, except the one child.

Firefighters immediately launched a search and rescue operation. The initial firefighters who entered at ground level were met with thick smoke and extreme heat, so additional crews used a ladder at the back of the home and broke through a window to get inside, he said.

The child was found and handed off to a firefighter waiting on the ladder.

Neighbours said the large family, which includes kids of all ages, were often outside playing.

When I saw them out there tonight, I thought, Oh, nothing special,' because they play all the time there," Jerry Corona, who lives across the street, said Friday night. But then I started to hear screaming and saw all the (emergency) lights and thought, Something has definitely happened.'"

On Saturday, investigators from the Office of the Fire Marshal and Hamilton police arson unit were on scene investigating.

Hubbard said it's too soon to know the cause of the fire, which began in the basement.

I'm working my way through house to get to area of origin," said the OFM investigator, standing outside the home.

Damage is mostly restricted to one level of the basement in the back area of the home. Some fire extended up through pipes, but firefighters quickly prevented it from spreading, Hubbard said.

So far he's discovered two smoke alarms in the home, but further testing is needed to determine whether they were working. It's not yet clear if there was a smoke alarm in the basement.

The fire caused about $500,000 in damages.

The OFM cleared the scene around 5 p.m. Saturday. The investigation continues.

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