Mountain family escapes fire that destroys their home

A Hamilton family escaped disaster early Friday when a fire ripped through their Mountain townhouse.

Emergency crews got the call to 1338 Upper Gage Ave. near Stone Church around 2:35 a.m., fire public information officer Claudio Mostacci told CBC News.

"When we arrived there was heavy fire and smoke coming from the front of the building," Mostacci said.

The family who lived in unit six a mom, dad and five kids all managed to get out safely, "including their pets," he said.

They lost what they had, but fortunately got out safely.- Claudio Mostacci, Hamilton Fire

The fire started in the basement garage unit of the fire, though no car was inside, Mostacci said. It then billowed up through the rest of the home, destroying everything.

"The original home is gutted. It's going to need extensive renovations," Mostacci said.

No one was injured, but there was a tense moment when a firefighter radioed for help after getting a foot caught on a ladder. "They just needed some help getting loose," Mostacci said.

The fire even managed to jump to the unit next to the original building. The ceiling in that unit is damaged, as fire crews had to pull it down to get inside and fight the flames. That home also has smoke and water damage.

All told, there is about $400,000 in damages, with the bulk of the destruction confined to unit six where the fire started, Mostacci said. The cause of the fire hasn't been determined, but it's not considered suspicious.

The main thing is that the family and their pets are okay, Mostacci said.

"They lost what they had, but fortunately got out safely."