Winnipeg firefighters battle large blaze in Transcona

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Large grass fire sends smoke billowing over Winnipeg

'We've lost a few structures': Update on Transcona grass fire

Winnipeg crews responded to three grass fires Monday afternoon, including a blaze that caused explosions.

More than 30 firefighting apparatus, such as firetrucks, were called to battle a fast-moving blaze that destroyed structures and caused explosions in Transcona Monday afternoon. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to a report of a grass fire at around 2 p.m. in the 600 block of Gunn Road. High winds in the area caused the fire to spread and threaten several businesses in the area.

“We do know we’ve lost a few structures on both sides of the fire along the south side of Gunn Road,” said WFPS Deputy Chief Scott Wilkinson.

It is not yet known how many structures were lost, as the damage was still being assessed Monday night.

The area is home to industrial buildings, including an auto storage business. Employees in the area were evacuated as a safety precaution.

Trevor Ditchfield works in the area and noticed the black smoke in the sky.

“Within seconds we could hear ‘bang, bang, bang’ and popping,” Ditchfield said. “Then you heard sirens, lots of sirens.”

“There were lots of explosions going on,” Wilkinson said.

Due to the extreme heat, two firefighters were assessed by paramedics. They did not need to be taken to hospital.

The fire was contained at around 5 p.m., which took a substantial amount of time due to wind conditions, Wilkinson said.

Cause of fire under investigation

According to the deputy chief, the fire spread from a wildland fire in the area, but the exact cause is under investigation.

A fire ban has been in place in Winnipeg since last week, and crews responded to several grass fires in the city on Sunday. Wilkinson said the dry conditions in the province have elevated the risk of fires.

“We need the participation and the help of everyone in the public to abide by the burn ban, watch smoking materials, and do anything they can, because any fire in this heat and weather condition will spread quickly, as we can see here today, and can cause catastrophic loss,” he said.

Winnipeg battles two other grass fires Monday

At 4:30 p.m. a call came from the Mission Gardens area of Winnipeg - a grass fire near Balaban Place had spread several acres.

Crews used specialized wildland fire equipment to help take down the blaze.

Crews remained on scene Monday night extinguishing hot spots.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Meanwhile at 5:30 p.m., crews were called to Rue des Trappistes and Pembina Highway for a third grass fire. The city says that fire was quickly brought under control.

There were no injuries reported. The cause is under investigation.