(UFFW 867 / FILE)
Winnipeg firefighters responded to three separate structure fires across the city early Friday morning.
The first call came in at 4:19 a.m. for a commercial building fire in the 500 block of London Street. Crews arrived to find smoke coming from the building and brought the fire under control by 5:05 a.m.
At 6:26 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to a commercial property in the 100 block of Stevenson Road after smoke was reported inside the building. The fire was declared under control by 7:40 a.m.
The third fire was reported at 7:05 a.m. at an apartment building in the 400 block of Balmoral Street. Crews encountered smoke upon arrival and had the fire under control by 7:48 a.m. Winnipeg Transit provided a bus to shelter displaced residents, while the city’s emergency social services team assisted those affected. Paramedics assessed two people on scene, but no one required transport to hospital.
No injuries were reported in any of the three fires, all of which remain under investigation. Damage estimates have not yet been released.
“These back-to-back responses underscore the reality our firefighters face every day,” said Nick Casper, president of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, IAFF Local 867.
“Call volumes in Winnipeg have increased by more than 120% over the past decade, while the service continues to operate with critical shortages in fire prevention, public education, plan examination, fire investigation, and fire suppression branches.”
