Fire breaks out twice overnight, destroys Hamilton Mountain home

A house fire that started Sunday night and re-ignited mid-morning Monday has destroyed a west Hamilton Mountain home according to a family member.

Fire crews were called twice to a brick bungalow at 111 Gardiner Drive in the neighbourhood of Gilkson.

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. a neighbour spotted the roof on fire and called the fire department. Crews arrived and put out the fire, which was reportedly from an electrical issue in the attic above the kitchen.

The homeowner and his dog — who were not injured — were able to escape and the dog is now safe with a neighbour.

Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe said that “thermal imaging cameras were used during overhaul to search for and extinguish remaining fire [in] the area involved.”

The fire department left the scene around 11:40 p.m.

Around 3 a.m. Sarah Nunes, the homeowner’s daughter, received a call from a neighbour that the house was fully engulfed in flames.

Sarah Nunes told CHCH’s Simone Gavros that she spoke to the district chief as to why a fire watch wasn’t done after the first fire, given its location in the roof and the ability for it to spread.

Nunes says she was informed that some embers may have ignited after the initial fire. She also said that her father’s house is now destroyed.

Chief Cunliffe reported that “firefighters remained on scene through the night to monitor the home.”

The damage is estimated to be $200,000.

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