‘Accidental’ kitchen blaze in downtown apartment quickly extinguished

An accidental kitchen fire in a downtown apartment building was quickly extinguished by the Hamilton Fire Department on Tuesday night.

In an email to The Spectator, assistant deputy fire chief Steve Welton said emergency services were called to a seniors' building at 155 James St. S. for an alarm just after 6 p.m.

Welton said crews found smoke and fire within an eleventh-floor apartment of the Residences on Augusta building. At that time, the fire was upgraded to a multiple-alarm call and additional trucks and crews were dispatched to the scene.

Welton said firefighters entered the affected apartment to conduct a search, where they located a person inside. Crews were able to rescue the person, who was later transferred into the care of paramedics for assessment.

It's unclear if the person was seriously injured.

Welton said crews were able to contain the blaze to a single apartment, preventing it from spreading to other areas of the building. A majority of the damage was contained to the kitchen-area of the unit and the cause of the blaze was determined to be accidental."

No other injuries to residents were reported. It's unknown how much damage the fire caused but they're considered to be moderate."

Welton credited the building's fire alarm system as having an important role" in the fire department's quick response.

Firefighters were then able to (do) their part when they arrived to prevent a more serious situation for everyone," said Welton. (The) Hamilton Fire Department continues to remind all Hamilton residents to ensure they have working smoke alarms in their homes and properties."

Hamilton police had closed James Street South in both directions between Hunter and Young streets while crews battled the fire.

Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com