Police and fire extinguished a fire at a one-storey hangar at Stoney Creek Airport in Hamilton Friday afternoon. The building was being used as an auto maintenance shop.

Hamilton Fire deputy chief Dan Milovanovic said there were up to 18 vehicles inside the 4,000-square-foot hangar, and another half a dozen outside.

Hamilton fire recieved calls from residents and dispatched a team just after 1:40 p.m., to 684 Mud St. E. The fire was put out by 3 p.m., but firefighters stayed behind for the smoke to clear to get inside and assess the damage.

Milovanovic said two people were working on vehicles inside when they were experienced a problem with the building’s furnace, which later burst into flames.

“They tried to put it out (and) could not, so they quickly exited the building,” Milovanovic said.

Explosions reported from the scene were likely caused by “propane and acetylene tanks used for various maintenance purposes” in or around the hangar, he said.

Matt Trahearn, founder of the Heli-Lynx Helicopters company that used to own the airfield and now operates out of leased buildings on-site, confirmed there were people working in the hangar when the fire started.

“Everybody’s all right. Nobody is hurt, but it looks like there are three or four cars that caught fire .... That’s going to be an awful surprise for a few people,” said Trahearn.

Mud Street East was closed to all traffic near the airport, which is bordered by that street and 6th Road East.