None injured as firefighters tame huge fire on King Street East in downtown Hamilton

The Hamilton Fire Department is looking into what caused a major fire Thursday morning at a building at the corner of King Street East and Ferguson Avenue.

First responders went to the area at around 9 a.m. where they saw heavy smoke coming from the back of 245 King St. East.

Firefighters say they encountered heavy fire and high heat coming from the attic area of the building.

Additional teams were called to the building due to the intensity of the flames and how quickly it was spreading, but were able to bring the fire under control after a few hours.

Firefighters say the people that were inside the building were able to self-evacuate, and there are no reported injuries from firefighters or civilians.

The fire department says The Red Cross was contacted to help one displaced person.

Firefighters say some smoke and water damage extended to the second floor of the adjoining building, at 243 King St. East.

Deputy Fire Chief Dan Milovanovic with the Hamilton Fire Department said it is too early to determine the cause of the fire, but it is not being deemed suspicious.

Milovanovic said the estimated total cost of damages to the building to be around $1.5 million.

The Ontario Fire Marshal has been notified because of the large dollar value loss.

Firefighters will remain in the area to monitor potential hotspots and maintain a fire watch.

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