An early Thursday morning apartment fire in Hamilton has left one man dead and an elderly woman hospitalized.
Emergency crews were called just before 5 a.m. to the DeLaurentian apartments on Fennell Avenue East near Mountain Brow Boulevard, where firefighters encountered heavy smoke and flames coming from a fourth-floor unit.
Inside the apartment, responders found two occupants. A woman in her 80s was rescued and taken to hospital, where her condition has since improved from critical to stable. A man in his 80s was located in a bedroom—identified as the area most affected by the fire—and died from his injuries.
The blaze was quickly extinguished but caused extensive damage to the unit, estimated at about $150,000. While the fire appears to have been largely contained to a single room, smoke and heat damage throughout the apartment was significant. A pet cat also died.
The building was evacuated during the response, and nearby road closures were lifted later in the morning. Most residents have been allowed back inside, though some units on the affected floor remain restricted.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause, with the scene secured by Hamilton police.