Two people taken to hospital after Hamilton Mountain house fire

Two seniors were taken to hospital Monday afternoon after a house fire on the east Mountain.

Emergency crews responded to 824 Upper Ottawa St., just off Mohawk Road East, at around 3:15 p.m. for reports of a multi-alarm structure fire.

The Hamilton Fire Department said in a tweet crews were met with a well-involved" blaze upon arrival. The fire started in a garage before it spread to its adjoining one-storey home.

The fire is under control and crews are overhauling," the department said in a tweet around 4:30 p.m.

In a release, the fire department said two residents fled the home and suffered from smoke inhalation.

Hamilton paramedic Supt. Dave Thompson said a man in his 70s was taken to hospital in serious but non-life-threatening condition with smoke inhalation and burns, while a woman in her 70s was taken to hospital in stable condition for assessment.

Firefighters on scene could be seen dousing a charred garage with heavy damage on its roof.

The fire department said damage to the home is extensive" but estimates and a cause have not yet been determined.

Hamilton police had cordoned off Upper Ottawa from Mohawk to around Beaconsfield Drive into the evening.

Fire crews were expected to remain on scene for some time extinguishing hot spots.

The investigation is ongoing.

Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com