A fire that has claimed two lives is now being investigated by Hamilton police as suspicious.
Firefighters were called to a house fire on Greening Court in Dundas just before 4 a.m. on Monday.
At its height, 12 units were on the scene to battle the aggressive blaze that had made its way to the roof, causing heavy smoke in the area.
Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe says crews arrived to find one resident outside the house who informed them of a second person who was still inside, prompting a search and rescue mission.
Cunliffe says after the person was located, crews had to evacuate.
“We went into what’s called defensive operations where we’re using large diameter hose lines as well as an aerial operation from the exterior of the home” he said.
“The roof had collapsed at this point and we did have some floor collapse so there was concern for firefighter safety.”
Police said Carla Rutherford, 64, was recovered from the home and turned over to paramedics. She later succumbed to her injuries.
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Officers said 63-year-old Allan Rutherford suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where he later died.
A dog was also rescued from the basement of the home and has been passed over to a neighbour.
The Ontario Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate the incident, the city’s second fatal fire of the year.
Investigators are now looking for the cause of the fire and tallying the damage estimate.
“Until we can determine the cause we’re going to err on the side of caution and investigate thoroughly to determine if this in fact a criminal act or not,” said Hamilton Police Det. Sgt. Dave Bereziuk.
Investigators are interested in speaking to family and witnesses.
If you have any information that may assist with this investigation, please contact Detective Ben Adams at 905-546-3836. To provide information anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your anonymous tips online at http://www.crimestoppershamilton.com”http://www.crimestoppershamilton.com.
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