Manitoba

Mountain Avenue closed due to apartment fire Sunday morning

Crews are battling an apartment fire in Winnipeg's St. John's neighborhood Sunday morning, resulting in road closures.

Mountain Avenue between Aikins and Salter Streets completely shut down

Fire crews battle an apartment fire on Mountain Avenue.
Police say Mountain Avenue between Aikins and Salter Streets is closed due to an active apartment fire. (CBC/Gavin Axelrod)

Crews are battling an apartment fire in Winnipeg's St. John's neighborhood Sunday morning, resulting in road closures.

Mountain Avenue is completely closed to traffic between Aikins and Salter Streets, and will remain so for several hours, police say.

No injuries have been reported due to the fire, but one neighbouring home was evacuated due to smoke. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service says 14 people have been displaced from the building, while a family with nine children who live next door are waiting in a transit bus that was called in to provide shelter.

Platoon Chief Brent Cheater told CBC news when fire crews arrived at 7:30 a.m., smoke and flames were coming from the balconies at the back of the building. 

Crews worked to make sure everyone was out of the building, and most had fled before they arrived. The fire started on the second floor, Cheater said, and then spread to the third floor and roof.

Two apartment buildings, one of which has smoke spilling out of it.
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service says it responded to this fire in a Mountain Avenue apartment complex at 7:30 Sunday morning. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC)

Cheater said fire crews are working with police to make sure everyone in the building is accounted for.

Police are asking motorists to avoid the area while fire crews remain on scene.

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With files from Gavin Axelrod