Community wants action following multiple fires over several hours

Winnipeg firefighters responded to six blazes at five vacant properties in the span of three hours. CTV’s Daniel Halmarson reports.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to seven fires across the city in less than eight hours, including one that sent a person to hospital.

The first fire broke out just before 8 p.m. on Monday at a single-storey home in the 300 block of Lock Street.

When firefighters got to the house, they found heavy smoke and flames and launched an interior attack. WFPS had the blaze under control by 8:30 p.m.

Firefighters found one person inside the home. They were taken to the hospital in critical condition. A cat was found dead.

The cause of the fire is being investigated. Damage estimates are unavailable, though the house is likely destroyed.

Following this fire, crews proceeded to respond to six more fires, all of which were at vacant properties.

The fires took place at vacant homes on St. Johns Avenue, Powers Street, Boyd Avenue, and Manitoba Avenue. There were also two fires at the same property on Alexander Avenue.

The first blaze broke out around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, with the final call coming in just before 3:30 a.m.

No one was hurt in any of these six fires, which are all under investigation.

Scott Wilkinson, deputy fire chief with the WFPS, said the fires provided huge strain on his crew.

“We had seven fires, most of which were in the same general area,” he said. “We had the same crews going to repeat fires and a number of fires simultaneously. It’s a huge demand on our crews, both physically and emotionally.”

Darrell Warren, president of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association, said the number of house fires the neighbourhood is dealing with has spiked in recent years.

“It’s way too frequent, and we need to go ahead and work on solutions to go ahead and combat this, because it’s unacceptable if you live in this neighborhood that you have to put up with this,” he said.

Warren said Tuesday’s fire on Powers Street took place in an area well-known to WFPS. He said over the years, firefighters have responded 12 times to fires in the same area.

“The trouble is when these houses sit, there is a temptation to the arsonist to break into these places and set them on fire time and time again… That’s ridiculous,” he said.

“The cost for the fire department to come here is phenomenal.”

Warren estimates 200 homes in the neighbourhood sit vacant right now.

Wilkinson said vacant buildings remain an issue for WFPS they’re trying to deal with.

“We’ve been working collaboratively for a number of years to increase enforcement, change the boarding standards,” he said. “Police are being proactive out there, but getting the community involved and having an impact that way is going to be important.”

The City of Winnipeg issued a reminder that if you see anyone entering a vacant building or tearing down boards from windows or doors, call 911 immediately.

If you notice breached windows or doors but don’t see anyone actively trying to enter the vacant property, report the incident to 311.

-With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre and Daniel Halmarson