Residents of four units displaced after multiple-alarm fire in Hamilton’s east end

Residents of four units have been displaced after a multiple-alarm fire in an apartment building in Hamilton’s east end Thursday morning.

Emergency crews were called around 7:15 a.m. to the blaze at 2520 Barton St. East.

Firefighters arrived to heavy flames and smoke billowing from the windows of an apartment on the seventh floor.

Four people were inside the apartment unit at the time of the blaze, but were able to escape before firefighters arrived.

Our crews are operating at a multiple alarm fire at 2520 Barton Street East. One unit involved with smoke throughout the building. No injuries to report. The Chief will hold a press briefing at 09:30 on Barton St. at Covington pic.twitter.com/Cx047k2SBL

— Hamilton Fire Department (@HamiltonFireDep) December 11, 2025

One of the occupants suffered from minor burns on their wrist and was treated by paramedics at the scene.

Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe said in a statement that the damage to the apartment was determined to be a “total loss.”

Seven other units in the building were also impacted by the fire — one directly across the hall that saw significant smoke damage, and the six units directly under the unit that caught fire, which saw varying levels of water damage.

The residents of four units have been displaced — the occupants of the unit that caught fire, the apartment unit across the hall and two of the affected apartment units on the sixth floor.

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The fire department says a cat is to blame for the blaze.

People CHCH News spoke with who live in the building and nearby say they heard a loud bang, then alarm bells. And when they looked out their window, they saw flames shooting out of the top floor of the building on Barton Street East.

“I was just going back to sleep when I heard a slight bang. And then I looked and I saw all these flames coming out of the building next to us,” said Fatimah Burke, a witness to the fire.

Burke sprang into action. She called 911 and began trying to warn residents of the building.

“We were yelling from our balcony because we could see people looking out their windows from that building. We were yelling at them to get out, get out. Your building is on fire,” said Burke.

“Well, I was waking up to the fire alarm going off. And all of a sudden I hear the firetrucks. And because I used to work here for 20 years I know what’s going on,” said Paul Fournier, who tried to help those in the burning building.

Fournier lives at 2520 Barton St. East, he says his friend lived in the seventh floor unit where the fire was.

“I went up on the seventh floor to make sure everybody got out, and I took a look down by 717 and you can’t see nothing,” said Fournier.

That’s what Hamilton firefighters experienced as well.

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“Crews very quickly made entry into the apartment building. Got up to the seventh floor. When they got into the apartment it was fully involved. They were able to make a fairly quick knockdown,” said Cunliffe.

Cunliffe adds that the total cost of damage to the building and all units is estimated to be around $600,000.

The Canadian Red Cross has been notified and is working with building management and the City of Hamilton’s Emergency Social Services to help the displaced residents.

The fire chief says he suspects that a resident’s cat got upset at one point and knocked an ash tray containing freshly discarded smoker’s materials onto a bed, starting the fire.

No other injuries have been reported.

The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal has been notified.

Hamilton police have closed Barton Street from Lake Avenue to Covington Street.

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