Smoke alarms not working in half of Hamilton homes that caught fire last year, data shows

Feb. 12, 2024, Hamilton, Ont. – Almost half of all Hamilton house fires last year happened in residences without working smoke alarms, city data shows. Data provided to The Spectator showed that, out of the 228 residential structure fires last year, roughly 107 of them — or 47 per cent — took place in a home without operational smoke detectors. The new data comes just weeks after a Hamilton landlord pleaded guilty in late January for failing to maintain a power supply that served smoke alarms in their Victoria Avenue North building. Hamilton Spectator reports. | READ MORE