Hundreds in search of new home after fire in Brandon

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/05/2018 (2315 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hundreds of people are without a home after a series of fires tore through downtown Brandon on Saturday, leveling one building and severely damaging three others.

No one was hurt.

The fire began at around noon in the Christie’s Office Plus building at Seventh Street and Pacific Avenue.

Within a couple of hours, strong winds had carried embers across the street to the Massey Manor residential building and to the beer vendor and former nightclub on Rosser Avenue, setting both buildings on fire.

Brandon Fire and Emergency Services personnel were assisted in battling theblazes by Manitoba Hydro, the Office of the Fire Commissioner, and the Souris, Wawanesa and CFB ShiloFire Departments.

Brandon Fire and Emergency Services personnel were assisted by the Souris-Glenwood, Oakland-Wawanesa and CFB Shilo fire departments, as well as Manitoba Hydro and the Office of the Fire Commissioner, with the bulk of the fires largely out after several hours.

But by the end of the day, the Christie’s building had been lost and crews were still on scene putting out small fires and using a backhoe to tear down some walls for safety.

“At this time, (there) doesn’t seem to be any significant risk to the community in terms of the large fire outbreak,” said Brian Kayes, director of risk and emergency management for the City of Brandon.

Kayes said there will likely be water damage to the Massey building, due to the amount of water that was used to put out the fire on the apartment’s rooftop, while the beer vendor will likely be a loss.

A city spokesperson said crews were also working to extinguish a fire on the east and west side of the Collyer’s Sales and Service, Brandon Boxing Club, and Kazic Kontracting building next door to Christie’s. Firefighters were still trying to put out the fire as of midnight.

In a statement, the city said a cause of the fire is not known at this time, but a preliminary investigation is underway.

For now, the city and Manitoba Emergency Social Services will work with the Red Cross to provide any necessary accommodations for the residents of Massey Manor.

As for how long those residents will need temporary housing, Kayes said it will be dealt with on a day-to-day basis.

“We will endeavour to work with the other agencies to arrange other accommodation,” he said. “No one wants to live in a hotel for a long, long period of time.”

Several crowds had formed around each of the three main fires, with many people recording it on their cellphones.

Darcy Poirier, the assistant manager of the beer vendor on Rosser Avenue, was at home getting ready for the evening shift when he got a call from an employee telling him the building was on fire.

“When I first saw it, I just dropped to my knees,” he said.

Charlene Duval, an insurance broker at Dick Agencies, was at the company’s office on Rosser Avenue when a client came in saying that Christie’s was on fire.

She later saw smoke coming from the beer store and by 2 p.m., her office had lost power. “All of them were burning by that time,” she said.

Standing in the back alley of his girlfriend’s house, Steve Longworth watched from about a block away as firefighters tried to douse the flames at the beer vendor.

Longworth said he and his girlfriend even packed a bag in the event they would have to leave their home. “We’ve been wetting the house and garage just in case,” he said.

The property manager for Massey Manor, Bryan Martin, said the building has 56 units and about 200 tenants.

The building is jointly owned and operated by the Brandon Friendship Centre, Canadian Mental Health Association and Manitoba Housing.

Some of the displaced tenants were taken by a city transit bus to the Victoria Inn, where people could register for accommodations with the Red Cross.

In a statement, the city said it, along with the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Province of Manitoba, had registered more than 100 evacuees.

“It was shocking,” Martin said, “but it’s contained and that’s a nice thing.”

Some residents described the situation as “devastating,” with the news truly sinking in as they waited to hear what would happen next.

Dozens of people were seen waiting in the grand salon of the Victoria Inn for their turn to register, some holding blankets or sitting in red chairs, while a number of children walked around with teddy bears given to them from the Red Cross.

But at least one tenant offered a positive outlook on the situation. “We might have lost our home and the things we have,” said Brittany Goertzen, “but we got out safe and God will take care of us.”

Manitoba Hydro said more than 1,000 customers in central Brandon were without power because of the fire. All had their power restored by 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The Salvation Army was also downtown providing people with drinks, sandwiches, granola bars and cookies.

Politicians took to Twitter to offer their condolences, including Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest, who said he was devastated for the owners and staff of Christie’s.

“My thoughts are also for the safety of our first responders who are battling this horrific fire,” Chrest said. “We would ask the public to avoid the area to allow crews to do this work.”

Premier Brian Pallister said he was watching the fire with deep concern. “Thanks to Brandon firefighters and police personnel for keeping Brandonites safe.”

mlee@brandonsun.com

Twitter: @mtaylorlee