(UFFW 867 / FILE)
Winnipeg firefighters were kept busy Sunday and Monday, responding to four separate structure fires in under 48 hours.
Crews were first called Sunday evening to a house under construction on Garfield Street North, where the framed structure was engulfed in flames. Firefighters brought the blaze under control within 20 minutes. Nearby homes were briefly evacuated, and the damaged structure was later demolished due to instability. The cause remains under investigation.
Later Sunday, at 8:44 p.m., a fire broke out in a split-level home on Newcastle Road. All residents escaped safely. Investigators say the blaze appears accidental, caused by an attempt to thaw frozen pipes with a heating torch. Officials warn residents never to use heat tools for thawing, directing the public to safety information on the city’s website.
Early Monday morning, firefighters tackled two more fires. At 3:14 a.m., crews arrived to heavy flames at a vacant commercial/industrial building on Myrtle Street. The fire was brought under control just before 5 a.m.
At 4:19 a.m., firefighters responded to another vacant house fire on William Avenue. Crews initially attacked the flames from outside before moving in once conditions improved.
All four fires are under investigation, and damage estimates are not yet available. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.
