Winnipeg firefighters battle blaze in apartment block south of Health Sciences Centre
CBC News | Posted: March 6, 2024 12:40 AM | Last Updated: March 6
Part of Toronto Street to remain closed until fire is put out, city says
Plumes of black smoke filled the sky over central Winnipeg late Tuesday afternoon, as a fire tore through a building in the city's Daniel McIntyre neighbourhood.
Fire crews responded to an automatic fire alarm at the three-storey apartment building on Toronto Street just south of Health Sciences Centre around 4 p.m. Tuesday, the city said in a news release.
Firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the building when they arrived. They entered the building to fight it from the inside, but deteriorating conditions forced them back outside, the city said.
All residents of the building exited safely, and no injuries were reported, the city said. Another apartment block next to the building was evacuated as a precaution.
WATCH | Flames shoot into sky during apartment-block fire:
Evacuees were sheltered on a Winnipeg Transit bus during the fire. The city's emergency social services team was also deployed to help displaced residents find temporary housing.
Work to put out the fire will continue through the night, the city said. Toronto Street, between Wellington and Notre Dame avenues, was to remain closed until fire crews leave the scene.
Aerial ladder trucks and hand lines were used to wash out the fire and protect neighbouring buildings. A drone provided aerial and thermal imaging to find hotspots.
The apartment building is expected to be a total loss, as it has been heavily damaged by fire, smoke and water, the city said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.