Careless smoking is to blame in a downtown blaze that sparked thousands of dollars in damage and saw a woman run back into her burning house to save her dogs early Wednesday.

Firefighters were called at 3:41 a.m. to 203 Rebecca St., just east of Ferguson Avenue North. The house is one of several attached homes on the street.

Fire Information Officer Claudio Mostacci said a caller told the 911 dispatcher the occupant of the burning house was with a group of neighbours when she ran back inside to find her pets.

"They tried to get her to stay outside," Mostacci said.

The woman was not injured and back outside when crews arrived.

"Fire was venting out the front window and there was heavy black smoke," Mostacci said.

During a search and rescue on the first floor, firefighters found two dogs and pulled them from the house.

Both dogs are OK, said City of Hamilton spokesperson Ann Lamanes.

One dog remains at Animal Services while the owner finds another place to live, and the other was taken by the owner to a vet, she said.

The woman will not be allowed back into the home. She is staying with friends, Mostacci said.

No one was injured.

Nine fire trucks responded at the height of the blaze.

Damage is estimated at $175,000. The attached homes on either side were not damaged.

"Probable cause, unfortunately, is careless use of smoking materials," Mostacci said. "We can't reiterate enough the dangers of smoking inside."

The fire began in the bedroom, he said.

Mostacci added there were no reports of a fire alarm sounding when crews got to the house.

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"And that's a concern," he said.

Fire crews left the scene just before 8 a.m.