Manitoba

Woman, 21, charged with arson after Point Douglas warehouse fire

A 21-year-old woman has been charged with igniting a fire that destroyed a Winnipeg warehouse and filled the sky with plumes of smoke on Tuesday.

About 100 firefighters helped battle blaze through Tuesday, nearby homes were evacuated

A firefighter works Wednesday at the scene of the previous day's warehouse fire in Point Douglas. (Gilbert Rowan/SRC)

A 21-year-old woman has been charged with igniting a fire that destroyed a Winnipeg warehouse and filled the sky with plumes of smoke on Tuesday.

As firefighters worked to douse the flames, police controlled traffic at the scene on Higgins Avenue and Point Douglas Avenue.

That's when someone approached officers with the description of a suspect and pointed the officers in the direction the person went, said police spokesperson Const. Dani McKinnon.

Not long after, police found the woman in the Elmwood neighbourhood and took her into custody. She has been charged with arson and mischief in connection with other damage she allegedly caused in the area.

McKinnon said the woman was previously known to police, which helped them locate her so quickly.

At least two dozen units from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service were called to the fire at at 2 Point Douglas Ave. just before 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The warehouse that burned is owned by Gateway Industries Ltd.

The fire forced police to close Higgins from Sutherland Avenue to Annabella Street. The road wasn't reopened again until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

During the fire the roof collapsed, making it difficult for firefighters to get at hot spots inside, McKinnon said.

Firefighters spray an industrial building in Point Douglas on Tuesday. About 100 firefighters fought the fire through Tuesday and nearby homes were evacuated. (Sean Kavanagh/CBC)

Nearby power lines also made it difficult for crews to get an angle to fight the fire, while temperatures close to 30 C also complicated the operation, as crews had to rotate frequently to avoid exhaustion, a WFPS spokesperson said on Tuesday.

A stationary railcar not far from the warehouse also caught fire from blowing embers. That fire then spread to several adjoining railcars, said McKinnon.

The battle against the main warehouse blaze progressed over the day and throughout the night until it was successfully extinguished early Wednesday.

The city said about 100 firefighters were at the fire through the day and evacuated 10 nearby homes.

The blaze was so large at one point that satellite radar detected the heat from the flames and smoke.

One firefighter was taken to hospital in stable condition on Tuesday and another was treated on scene and released, police said, but did not provide details about the injuries.

There have been multiple fires at the warehouse location in the past, and the building was scheduled to have an inspection in three months, said Jamie Vanderhorst, the fire paramedic service's assistant chief of rescue operations.

Black smoke filled the sky north of the Manitoba Legislature on Tuesday. (Submitted by Donna L. Brown)

Asked if he knew what was inside the warehouse, and whether there may have been chemicals or other toxic materials, Vanderhorst said he could not answer. He also couldn't say whether an environmental investigation will take place.

"To my knowledge right now, we don't know what was inside. We have not had a chance to enter the structure and no one will be entering that structure because of the safety concerns," he said.

At last inspection in 2018, the building was partially occupied, but Vanderhorst did not know the nature of the business that was there.