Scrap metal collectors lose livelihood in garage fire
Blaze one of 5 fires overnight in Winnipeg's North End neighbourhood
A Winnipeg woman says whoever started her garage on fire has stolen part of her livelihood.
"It's all gone. Everything in our garage is gone," Shannon, who didn't want her last name used, said between sobs.
The garage, just off Parr Street in the alley between College and Boyd avenues, went up in flames around 5 a.m. on Thursday.
Shannon and her husband, who have a limited income, collect metal to sell at a local scrapyard. Their collection was inside the garage, which was destroyed.
"It's our livelihood. We make our extra money that way," she said, adding that a bicycle she borrows to get around was also in the garage.
That's gone, too.
"I'm just angry. It's not right that people could do this," Shannon said, noting police told her it was arson.
"Everybody's out safe and sound. We're lucky. But we lost whatever metal we had left in there to take to the yard."
5 fires ignite in the North End
The fire was one of five overnight in the city's North End, Winnipeg police said.
The first happened at about 7 p.m. in a garage facing a back lane near Selkirk Avenue and Parr Street. A few hours later, a fire was reported at 10:20 p.m. at a vacant residence in the 1000 block of Redwood Avenue.
At 1:10 a.m. a garage went up in flames in the 300 block of Bannerman Avenue. Fire officials described it as "well involved" when crews arrived.
Less than an hour later, another fire was reported inside a garage in the 300 block of Atlantic Avenue.
All fires are under investigation by the major crimes unit.
No injuries were reported.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Winnipeg police at 204-986-2222 or Crime Stoppers at (204) 786-TIPS (8477).