By Liam McConnell Posted July 11, 2022 at 9:46 pm A fire in Hamilton caused $10 million in damage. Today’s massive Stoney Creek wildfire that closed roads and knocked out power in parts of Hamilton caused about $10 million in damage, the Hamilton Fire Department (HFD) has confirmed. The blaze broke out just before 4 p.m. on July 11 near Stone Church and Upper Red Hill Valley Parkway. As HFD rushed to the scene, calls continued to come in prompting an upgrade to a second fire alarm. As a result, resources from across the city rushed to the scene to help. When the first crews arrived on scene, they found a massive “highly involved” fire in the Central Park housing development. Initial reports from the scene indicated that several units in various states of construction were burned. Meanwhile strong winds fanned the flames 30 to 40 feet high. pic.twitter.com/V8OyjVq9hw — West (@pwallll) July 11, 2022 Gusts pushed the fire north through the houses under construction to the occupied houses across the street. Firefighters lined up along the road to contain the blaze. It took a “large volume” of hand lines and three raised ladders to contain the flames. The heat from the inferno reached so high that the sides melted and the windows shattered from the sheer temperature. As the radiant heat continued to rise, balconies in the courtyards of northern houses burned. Even the balconies of the second row back began to flare up. As this new home caught fire, HFD again upgraded the fire to a fourth alarm. That sent about 70 firefighters to the scene for all operations. Crews worked quickly to knock down the balcony fires before they could move into the structure of the homes. After 30 to 45 minutes of fighting, firefighters successfully brought the fire under control. In all the fires destroyed 23 under-construction units in various stages of completion, 12 occupied residences suffered heat damage and many others suffered damage to their balconies. The fire also caused several vehicles along the road. HFD estimates the fire caused about $10 million in damages. Fortunately no injuries have been reported from the fire and all residents will be able to return to their homes this evening. Due to the extent of the damage, the Ontario Fire Service and Hamilton Police will investigate the cause of the fire. Crews remain on scene to combat hot spots, but roads have since reopened. insauga Advertising Standards and Editorial Policies
