Two buildings on Hamilton’s eastside were damaged by a multiple-alarm fire in the city’s east end early Wednesday.
Hamilton Fire says there were no reports of any injuries and estimates damage to two Ottawa Street buildings north of Main Street East to be in the neighbourhood of $1 million.
Chief Dave Cunliffe says early indications point to the blaze starting at a storey-and-a-half building at 47 Ottawa St. N. that had been converted into a commercial building with a two-storey brick addition at the front.
“Due to the rapidly advancing fire conditions in 47, interior firefighting crews were withdrawn and a defensive-exterior firefighting operation was initiated,” Cunliffe said.
The fires at both buildings were brought under control after 40 minutes.
The two buildings, both sustaining roof collapses, had been boarded up prior to a Hamilton police officer discovering the initial fire around 3:40 a.m.
The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined and the office of the fire marshal has been notified.
Police spokesperson const. Indy Bharaj told Global News arson investigators are working to locate video surveillance of the fire as it being treated as suspicious.