2 charged in fatal Hamilton townhouse fire last December

The Hamilton Fire Department has charged two people in connection with a fire at a townhouse last December that claimed four lives.

Shortly after 11 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2022 emergency crews responded to 14 Derby St. where they found six people inside who were taken to hospital.

Witnesses said neighbours rushed towards the burning home with ladders as children inside yelled for help.

Two adults and two children were later pronounced dead after firefighters pulled them from the house, while two other adults were in stable condition.

The Hamilton public school board would later identify three of the four victims killed in the fire.

WATCH MORE: Neighbours, classmates mourn family who died in East mountain house fire

In a letter sent to families, the principal of Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School confirmed that Lambeau and Khaleesi McIsaac were students at the institution.

“I am very sad to share three of the lives lost were those of Lambeau and Khaleesi McIsaac and their mother Kassie Chrysler,” Nanci-Jane Simpson said.

The Ontario Fire Marshal confirmed in January that the fire began on a living room couch on the main floor of the Hamilton Mountain townhouse that had no working smoke alarms.

The two surviving tenants have now been charged with disabling a smoke alarm and failing to inform the landlord that the alarm unit was disconnected or non-operational.

Fire officials say that individuals convicted of an offence are liable to a fine of up to $50,000, a prison term of up to one year or both.

WATCH MORE: Overnight Hamilton house fire leaves 4 dead, including 2 children