Crews battle trio of fires overnight

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This article was published 03/03/2024 (812 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A vacant home in the North End that burned for a second time in just weeks will be demolished, as firefighters continue to battle a high number of blazes in derelict buildings in Winnipeg’s core.

Fire crews were called to the vacant home in the 500 block of Burrows Avenue around 2:14 a.m. Sunday, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said in a news release.

When they arrived, the building was fully engulfed in flames and starting to collapse.

The structure already had extensive damage from a fire on Feb. 10.

An emergency demolition of the structure was ordered, the release said.

Winnipeg set a record for fires in vacant buildings last year, with 125 blazes between January and mid-November 2023. In January, United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg president Tom Bilous said the number of blazes in vacant properties was closing in on 150 in the last 12 months.

An exact tally for 2023 and 2024 so far was not immediately available.

Eighty-four fires in vacant buildings was recorded in 2022.

“This has been the winter from hell regarding vacant buildings,” Bilous told the Free Press earlier this winter. “There are surprises in these buildings. You cannot be too careful with those (fires).”

Also on Sunday, crews battled a fire in a two-storey house in the 400 block of Young Street. Due to dangerous conditions, firefighters could not enter the building and launched an exterior attack.

“The weather created challenging conditions for firefighters, as the area around the scene was ice-covered and slippery,” WFPS said in a news release.

The fire was under control by 1:35 a.m.

Residents got out of the home safely and were able to return to their suites after the fire was out. No one was hurt.

Emergency demolition of the structure was ordered due to extensive fire, smoke, and water damage.

Prior to that, at 10:39 p.m. on Saturday, crews went to a fire in a two-storey house in the 600 block of Toronto Street.

The fire was out by 10:53 p.m.

Residents got out safely with their pets before crews arrived. No injuries were reported, the news release said.