3 people in hospital and 18 in temporary living accommodations following apartment blaze

Debbie Bohmke woke up at around 4 a.m. Saturday to the sound of a man screaming outside.

"I thought he'd maybe been shot, stabbed," Bohmke said. "It sounded to me like he was calling for help."

Then, Bohmke heard sirens — lots of them, so she decided to go outside to see what was going on, she said.

An apartment building in the 400 block of Kennedy Street, across the street from Bohmke's building, was on fire.

Three people were sent to the hospital, one in critical condition and two in stable condition, the city said in a release.

Bohmke said she saw fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars lined up along the street. Firefighters went up to people's balconies, she said. The city said firefighters rescued four people using ladders.

Bohmke said she went back inside around 5:30 a.m., after most of the action was over. 

Amina Nzorggana has lived in the building that caught fire for five years. She said she's worried about her neighbour, who has children.

"I cannot sleep," she said.

A Winnipeg Transit bus arrived at the scene to temporarily shelter some residents. The city's emergency social services team responded to help 18 people find temporary living accommodations before they can return home, the city said.

The Winnipeg Police Service's major crimes unit is investigating the cause of the fire, the police said in a statement. The building sustained significant smoke, fire, and water damage, the city said.

Anyone with information about the fire can call investigators at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).

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