23 housing units under construction destroyed in fire on Hamilton’s east Mountain

The Hamilton Fire Department say 23 homes under construction were destroyed in four alarm fire on the east Mountain Monday afternoon.

The blaze started just before 4 p.m. and forced police to closed off the Upper Red Hill Valley Parkway between Rymal Road and Highland Road West where the Central Park development was located.

“Strong winds from the south were fanning the flames … shooting 30 to 40 feet in the area and moving rapidly to the north of the development site towards rows of occupied houses that were across the street,” chief Dave Cunliffe told Global News in an email.

Cunliffe said the fire was so hot that siding on some of the new homes melted and windows broke from the same heat.

“At the height of the fire the radiant heat started balconies on fire in the rear yards of the exposed houses to the north and the in rear of the adjacent row of houses immediately behind them,” said Cunliffe.

Close to 70 firefighters battled the blaze for about 45 minutes, targeting flames on the balconies to avoid spread into nearby homes.

In all, the site suffered an estimated $10 million in damage tied to 23 destroyed units, heat damage to 12 occupied homes as well as harm to several parked cars and construction equipment on nearby streets.

No injuries were reported.

Residents in a number of occupied area homes in the area were allowed to return Monday night.

Ontario’s office of the fire marshal has been notified and are expected to investigate along with aid of Hamilton Police into the cause.