3 dead, 3 treated in hospital in overnight house fire in Hamilton

Three people are dead and three others were taken to hospital after a house fire in Hamiltonon Saturday night.

The home,on GrenfellStreet in the city's east end, is a rooming house that was home to fivetenants, say neighbours.

The Hamilton Fire Department said there were five people in the home at the time. Of the three sent to hospital, two were tenants of the building, while thethirdwas Jonathan Davidson,one of a number of people who rushed to the burning home to try to help.

At Davidson'surging, one of the tenants, a woman, jumped from an upper-storey window to escape the fire.

• Read More:Neighbour braves fatal inferno to help rescue two trapped inside

They say she suffered injuries in the fall, but is one of the two survivors now in hospital.

OnSunday morning, Hamilton police said two of those sent to hospital remain there.

The total number of fire deaths in Hamilton in 2016 has now reached11. All were fires at residential homes.

Kyle Hicks, an area resident, said he saw the fire Saturday night engulfing the back of the home.

Firefighters received a report of the fire at about 11:25p.m. ET.

The fire department said the blazewas "well involved" when firefighters arrived, with heavy smoke billowing out of the front of the house and flames visible at the rear.

Claudio Mostacci, public information officer for the fire department, confirmed there were three fatalities. He said firefighters saw people coming out of the home and were told there were people inside.

"Crews immediately went inside to do their search and rescue. They did encounter additional individuals inside," he said.

"When we arrived on [the] scene, a neighbour had gone inside the building to assist, to try to get people out, but was notsuccessful in getting to the people upstairs," Mostacci said.

By 11:45 p.m., flames were no longer visible from the street, but thick smoke still blanketed the area. Mostacci said the flames were extinguished "very quickly" after their arrival.

On Sunday, the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshalsaid investigators founda smoke alarm in the house, but haven't determined yet if it was functioning.

Davidson, who rushed into the home to help rescue people,told CBCthat when he was inside,he didn't hear an alarm going off, but that thefire was very loud.

Belinda Richard, who lives near the house on Grenfell Street,says she noticed flashing lights from her bedroom window shortlyafter11 p.m.Saturday.

She says she rushed outside and noticed flames and smokebillowing from the back of the house.

Richard, who did not know the people living there, says, as crewswere fighting the blaze, the house was surrounded by policeofficers, neighbours and reporters.

She adds that police had to set up a wider perimeter around thehouse to keep onlookers back.

"It was chaos," she says of the scene. "I have never seen somany police officers, fire trucks and ambulances all in one spot.

Damage to the home is estimated at$260,000.