A fire in a home in central Hamilton Wednesday proved difficult for firefighters to put out, officials say.

"It's still active and burning," public information officer Claudio Mostacci said from just outside a home at 156 Sanford Ave. S., where emergency crew were called at around 2:30 p.m.

Fire crews had to be pulled out from inside the building, as the flames spread throughout the two-and-a-half storey home and it became structurally unsafe.

"There was a risk of the ceiling coming down on the firefighters inside," Mostacci said.

The two people who were inside the home got out safely, and were waiting for firefighters when trucks got there.

Some homes in the area were evacuated for precautionary reasons, while other people were asked to shut their windows to make sure billowing smoke doesn't blow through their homes.

It is far too early to say what caused the fire or what the damage estimate will be, Mostacci said. He also couldn't yet say how long crews would be on scene.

"We're trying to extinguish the fire ... but right now it's proving very difficult."

Alex Djordjevic watched the fire burn from outside the home of one of his girlfriend's family members. "There are huge flames shooting out of the very top of the building," he said.

"It almost seems like it will never die out."