Damage pegged at $2.5M after massive fire destroys mall in Dauphin

Emergency crews on the scene of a massive fire at the Dauphin Village Mall on Oct. 13. The blaze destroyed several businesses and reduced the building to rubble. (Photo provided by 730 CKDM)

Damage is pegged in the millions of dollars after a massive blaze reduced a Dauphin mall to rubble Wednesday.

The Office of the Fire Commissioner told CTV Thursday the damage is estimated at $2.5 million.

Around 1:00 p.m. on Oct. 14, a fire broke out in the kitchen of Corrina’s on Main, located inside the Dauphin Village Mall.

Dauphin fire chief Cam Abrey told local radio station 730 CKDM the fire was a tough fight because a second roof had been added to the mall previously.

He said in order to reach the flames, firefighters used heavy equipment to remove the added structure.

"Due to the unique building construction and the metal roofing materials, the fire spread rapidly through the attic spaces causing significant structural damage," said Abrey in a statement on Thursday.

The Dauphin Village Mall is a complete loss, reduced to a pile of rubble.

Also in the mall was a hair salon, along with the head office and boutique for Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival.

CTV spoke with the Ukrainian festival's president who said the organization lost everything except for a few files.

The organization will hold an emergency meeting Thursday to decide where to relocate the office; however, the boutique will not reopen anytime soon.

There is no official cause of the fire yet, but it is under investigation.

A witness on scene told a Dauphin reporter Wednesday afternoon, they thought the fire started in a deep fryer at the restaurant.

So far, the restaurant has not commented.

The Dauphin Fire Department said Thursday the fire is not considered suspicious but the cause remains under investigation.

Canada's National Ukrainian Festival issued a press release on Thursday, saying it had no access to office phones and limited Internet access following the fire. It said it will notify the public once it has set up a temporary office, and assured the public that plans continue for the festival set for July 29 through July 31.

-- With files from CTV's Michelle Gerwing and Josh Crabb.