Fire victim was ‘believed to be squatting’ at house

Hamilton police say a man killed in a Westdale house fire Wednesday night was “believed to be squatting” on the vacant property.

In an email to The Spectator, police spokesperson Jackie Penman also confirmed the victim, who was in his 20s, was not a McMaster University student.

The Traymore Avenue blaze is being investigated by the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) as well as Hamilton police.

Chief Dave Cunliffe of the Hamilton Fire Department said crews were called to a structure fire on Traymore, between Forsyth and Dalewood avenues, just after 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Cunliffe said firefighters searching the house were met with “heavy fire,” as well as a hole in the floor on the second level. During the search, they located a man inside the house without vital signs.

In a statement Friday, OFM spokesperson Sean Driscoll said the investigation into the fire is in its infancy, noting “it would be premature to speculate on any causes at this time.”

However, the fatal blaze comes amid a string of other fires on nearby properties, which are owned by McMaster University and slated to be demolished to make way for a new student residence building.

According to the Hamilton Fire Department’s incident Twitter feed, crews were also called to structure fires on the same block on both Sept. 24 and Sept. 10. The cause of those fires is unclear.