Crews in Hamilton, Ont. put out three separate fires on Monday that resulted in millions of dollars worth of damage to homes and businesses.
The first fire occurred around 9:45 a.m. at a one-and-a-half storey detached residence on Beeforth Road, between Concession 5 East and Concession Street East in Millgrove.
According to Hamilton Fire Chief David Cunliffe, crews arrived to find heavy smoke and visible flames on the exterior of the home as well as the roof.
Officials had to bring in a tanker shuttle of water as the residences in the area are not serviced with hydrants.
“The fire then traveled across the whole length of the roof before it was brought under control,” Cunliffe said in a statement issued Monday. The fire caused significant damage to the attic and roof areas of the residence.
The owner of the residents was home at the time but was not injured. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire, but estimate the damage to be more than $500,000.
The second incident took place an hour later at a tire storage business near Wentworth Street North and Burton Street. The fire, officials say, started on the exterior of the building before travelling up the walls and roof line.
Crews were able to knock the fire down quickly, however, the building sustained significant smoke damage. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Firefighters responded to a third incident around 1:30 p.m. on Cloverhill Road between Gateview Drive and Brantdale Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, they found two homes engulfed in flames and heavy smoke along with a vehicle in the driveway.
Additional resources were brought in from across the scene to knock down the fire.
The occupants of both homes were able to safely evacuate.
Officials said it took firefighters 35 minutes to put out the blaze, noting that the fire consumed a deck, fence, and motorcycle, and caused damage to both homes.
No injuries were reported.
Cunliffe said the cause of the fire appears to be improper disposal of smoking material. The damage is estimated to be about $600,000.