Investigation into Hamilton fire that killed 2 kids and man will look at if smoke detectors were working

Hamilton police have provided more details about the Brock Street fire in north Hamilton on Sunday that left two children and one man dead.

The girls, ages 21 months and three years, were found in a bedroom of the highrise apartment by members of the Hamilton Fire Department. 

The adult who died was a 52-year-old man, police said in an emailed statement on Monday.

More than 60 firefighters, police and emergency services responded to the multiple-alarm fire at the Pier Towers Apartments on 35 Brock St. that sent 13 people to hospital. 

"There is no information to suggest this fire is suspicious," Jackie Penman, a Hamilton Police Service spokesperson, also said in the statement.

The police homicide unit is involved because pediatric death protocol requires them to investigate children's deaths. 

27 tenants in need of support

The Red Cross is assisting tenants of the North End building who have been displaced by the fire. It says 27 people were impacted and in need of accommodation and other support.

"There were six people in the apartment when the fire was discovered and the other four people were able to evacuate the unit before it was consumed by the fire," said Penman.

On Sunday, Abakar Malloum Boukar told CBC News that the two girls were his grandchildren and lived with his daughter.

"It's very painful for all the family and the community," he said before breaking down in tears. 

WATCH | The aftermath of devastating highrise fire in Hamilton's North End: 

2 children, 1 adult killed in fire at Hamilton highrise apartment building

3 days ago

Duration 0:29

Two children and one adult were killed after a fire at a highrise apartment building near Hamilton's waterfront on Sunday morning.

The 52-year-old man who died was a resident of the building and "had no known connections" to the apartment where the fire started, police said. He was found by firefighters on a stairwell in the building's ninth floor, Penman said in the statement.

Autopsies for the children and man are scheduled for Tuesday, she added. Their names have not been released.

Hamilton police are working with Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal, which took over the investigation on Sunday, to determine the cause of the fire. 

"The examination of the scene is expected to take a considerable amount of time and police may be on scene for several days," said Penman.

The investigation will include looking into whether the smoke detectors were functioning.

Fire chief 'very proud' of department's work

As well as the dozens of firefighters, 20 paramedic units were at the scene on Sunday.

When firefighters got to the first floor, they were met with "extreme heat, extreme smoke, extreme flame," Hamilton fire Chief David Cunliffe said that day.

"As firefighters raced in to initiate search and rescue operations, they were met with heavy smoke in the stairwell, along with numerous people trying to evacuate," he said.

Firefighters made multiple rescues and assisted numerous people out of the stairwell and hallways, according to Cunliffe.

On Monday, he told CBC Hamilton that Sunday "was a very hard day for all the firefighters involved" and he's "proud of the work they did under really, really difficult conditions."

"We very early in the incident mobilized our peer support teams and they were waiting for the firefighters when they got back to the stations after the incident."

Dave Thompson, superintendent with the Hamilton Paramedic Service, said on Sunday that of the people transported to hospital, eight were in stable condition, four in serious condition and one did not have vital signs.

Of the 13 patients, the youngest is a one-month-old and the oldest 77, Thompson said, adding that paramedics assessed another four people at the scene who refused to be taken to hospital.

Red Cross working with city to help displaced tenants

A spokesperson with the Canadian Red Cross told CBC Hamilton it's working with the City of Hamilton to help those impacted by the fire. 

"As of Jan. 27, we are assisting 10 households (27 individuals), by offering emergency accommodation and essential services such as food and clothing," said the spokesperson.

"At this time, no one impacted by the fire has returned home."

The Red Cross will continue to work with the city to support those affected.

A spokesperson for InterRent, the company that owns the twin buildings on 35 Brock St. and 600 John St. N., did not directly reply to questions about fire alarm checks in the building.

Roseanne MacDonald-Holtman said the company is "fully co-operating with all authorities as they investigate its cause and circumstances."

Building owner says company working on 'restoration' efforts

In a letter to residents on Sunday, InterRent said it's working on various building recovery efforts, such as fixing elevators as well as hallway lighting.

A fire restoration team was also at the building, according to the letter, "working to clean and restore the affected common areas."

Technicians were working on site to restore hot water in the building, and said heating was working normally.

Ward 2 Coun. Cameron Kroetsch told CBC Hamilton he's been in touch with city staff to "talk about what is possible for us to do to help here," but also to address some issues that have been raised by residents of the building.

"Concerns about the quality of the maintenance of this building, the heating, other kinds of things," he said.

Kroetsch said although the investigation is in early stages and he still doesn't have a lot of information, his office will do "everything we can to help people as they recover here."

"It's obviously a devastating situation and it's an awful thing to happen in our community."

Kroetsch is also "appreciative," however, of the North End community, which has "stepped up" and organized to help those impacted by the fire.