Hamilton police officer taken to hospital following downtown fire

A Hamilton police officer was taken to hospital for treatment of possible smoke inhalation after a fire at a downtown apartment.

In a release, Fire information officer Claudio Mostacci said the fire broke out at about 9:10 a.m. on Saturday at an 18-storey high rise at 195 Hughson St. N.

Firefighters discovered the blaze on the seventh floor and called in additional crews to control the fire.

Mostacci said the suspected cause of the fire was “careless disposal of smoker’s material from an upper floor balcony which ignited combustible items”.

Damage is estimated at approximately $30,000.