(UFFW 867 / FILE)
WINNIPEG — An early morning fire in the city’s North End sent three people to hospital on Saturday.
Winnipeg firefighters responded to the blaze in at a three-storey commercial and residential mixed-use building in the 200 block of Atlantic Avenue just before 3 a.m.
Crews arrived to find heavy smoke and flames were coming from the structure. Handlines and aerial ladder trucks were used to apply water to the fire, while a drone was also launched to direct crews to hotspots.
Two people were removed from the building by firefighters, while other residents were able to self-evacuate. A Winnipeg Transit bus was deployed to provide shelter.
Paramedics assessed multiple patients at the scene. Two people were transported to hospital in critical condition, while another was transported in unstable condition.
Manitoba Hydro turned off the gas and power off to some buildings as a precaution.
Crews are expected to remain on scene throughout the morning. Southbound Main Street between Inkster Boulevard and Cathedral Avenue, and Atlantic Avenue between Main Street and Charles Street, will be closed while crews remain on scene.
The structure suffered significant damage from the fire, which the cause remains under investigation.
