At approximately 7:27 am this morning, the Hamilton Fire Department received reports of a structure fire at 380 Regional Road 20, between Third Road East and Tapleytown Road. This location is in a composite fire response area, both volunteer and full-time firefighting crews and equipment were dispatched – including an initial 4 Tankers to support water shuttle operations, as this rural area is non-hydranted.
As the first crew was arriving, they reported heavy smoke could be seen coming from the rear of a large metal barn/workshop with dimensions of approx. 20 x 40 feet. The structure was located immediately behind a large family residence. They then reported that an outdoor recreational kitchen / patio area at the rear of the metal workshop was fully involved and there was a potential risk of exposure to the adjacent residential home.
Based on this, the Incident Commander quickly upgraded this event to a multiple alarm, bringing additional crews and apparatus from across the City, including an additional Tanker to assist with water supply. Firefighters immediately initiated fire suppression operations on the exterior fire, while additional firefighters entered the structure and aggressively controlled any heat and flame impinging at the roofline, preventing the fire from spreading into the interior of the workshop.
The fire was quickly brought under control. Damage was primarily sustained in the outdoor recreational kitchen / patio area. The expected dollar loss is estimated to be between $75-100K. Due to the quick response and actions of the firefighters, the workshop sustained very minimal damage and there was no damage to the adjacent residential home. The suspected cause is believed to be related to the outdoor cooking equipment which had been used last evening. No injuries to the residents or firefighters have been reported.
David R. (Dave) Cunliffe (he/him)
Fire Chief
Hamilton Fire Department
David R. (Dave) Cunliffe (he/him)
Fire Chief
Hamilton Fire Department
