Ontario’s fire marshal investigates cause of downtown Hamilton blaze

Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal is looking for the cause of a multiple alarm fire near Hess Village in Hamilton.

The first call came in just after midnight on Wednesday.

When the Hamilton Fire Department arrived on George Street, between Hess and Caroline streets, crews found a fire that had spread from the basement to the roof of the two-storey building.

Because the address was the middle of three older units, back up equipment was called in from across the city.

There were initial reports of someone still inside the building, but a search turned up no one.

All three residents had managed to get out on their own.

The Red Cross is helping residents find alternate accommodations.

The damage estimate is still being determined.