East Hamilton house fire kills 70-year-old man, police say

Hamilton police say a 70-year-old man has died in hospital after a house fire in the city’s east end Saturday afternoon.

At approximately 11:57 a.m., fire crews received a report of a structure fire at 71 Spadina Avenue between Vineland Avenue and Dunsmure Road. The caller reporting the fire also mentioned that someone was still in the home.

Upon arriving on scene, crews say they saw smoke billowing from the two and a half storey home.

Firefighters made entry into the home to search for the lone occupant. More crews joining the effort were able to quickly extinguish the remaining fire.

Officials say the man in the home was recused and taken to hospital in critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries.

It is estimated that the fire caused approximately $10,000 in damages.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown and the Hamilton police arson unit has taken over the investigation. Authorities add that no element of criminality is suspected.

The Office of the Fire Marshal has been notified due to the critical condition of the man recovered from the home.

Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to contact police at 905-540-5085 or gblunsdon@hamiltonpolice.ca.

Those wishing to provide information anonymously can do so through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or on their website.

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