A 40-year-old woman has been charged with arson following a fire at a Winnipeg apartment building on Thursday. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to the blaze in the 200 block of Young Street Thursday morning which forced residents to evacuate. The fire caused an estimated $1 million in damage to the building. At the time, firefighters said the fire started in a suite on the third floor and spread. According to Winnipeg police, officers were called to the apartment at 1:30 p.m. to perform a well-being check and assisted with the evacuation of tenants. The major crimes unit started investigating the fire. According to investigators, a suspect is alleged to have set a fire inside their suite, barricaded the door and fled through a window. She was later found at a home in the 600 block of Selkirk Avenue and arrested without incident, police said. The suspect has been charged with arson causing property damage and arson with disregard for human life. She was detained in custody. None of the charges have been proven in court.
