4 firefighters injured responding to east-end fire that destroyed 2 homes

Four firefighters were injured and two homes destroyed causing about $2 million in damage after an overnight fire in east Hamilton, Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe says.

Three firefighters had heat related injuries and one slipped and fell on ice during the fire. All went to hospital and have since been released, Cunliffe said in a noon news release.

Around 12:30 a.m., the fire department responded to a report of a fire in a two-storey residence on Country Club Drive, near the Red Hill Valley Parkway and Greenhill Avenue, he said.

Crews reported flames coming from the garage and part of the roof, which partially collapsed. The home next door also caught fire, Cunliffe said. The fire department called in firefighters from across the city. 

Although firefighters initially thought two people may be inside the burning building and tried to find them, it turned out they were not inside, Cunliffe said.

He added that the cause of the fire was "undetermined."