Blaze tears through vacant downtown Hamilton building

A blaze tore through a vacant building downtown Monday evening leading to more than $500,000 in damages.

Firefighters were called to the two-and-a-half storey building on the south side of King Street East, between Mary and Walnut streets, around 8:30 p.m., fire Chief David Cunliffe said in a press release.

On scene, they found an active fire on the first and second floors of 168 King St. E., which housed residential units above a ground floor commercial space previously occupied by a mortgage broker.

The call was quickly upgraded to multiple alarm, drawing resources from across the city, as firefighters feared the fire would spread to adjacent buildings.

Throughout the evening, 16 Hamilton Fire Department units were sent to fight the blaze.

Firefighters attacked the fire from the inside and out. They searched the structure for people and ladder trucks gave others access to the roof.

The fire was quickly" brought under control, but not before the building sustained significant damage," Cunliffe said in the release.

One firefighter suffered a cut to their hand and was treated for minor injuries.

Damages are pegged at over $500,000, Cunliffe said.

The cause of the fire is not deemed suspicious, Cunliffe added, and the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office has been notified.

Jeremy Kemeny is a Hamilton-based web editor at The Spectator. Reach him via email: jkemeny@thespec.co