Fire at vacant house sends Winnipeg firefighter to hospital
Crews called to 2 early morning fires at vacant homes in William Whyte neighbourhood
A Winnipeg firefighter was injured and taken to hospital in stable condition after a fire at a vacant house on Aberdeen Avenue, the city says — one of two early morning fires at vacant homes in the William Whyte neighbourhood.
Crews were called to a fire at a boarded-up one-and-a-half-storey home around 6:30 a.m. Saturday in the 400 block of Aberdeen, west of Main Street in the north Winnipeg neighbourhood.
They saw smoke billowing from the house and began a defensive attack using an aerial ladder, the city said in a news release.
One firefighter was injured and taken to hospital in stable condition after being assessed by paramedics.
Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene throughout the morning, the city said, asking residents nearby to avoid the area.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and damage estimates are unavailable at this time.
Crews responded to a fire at the same house in November, when it sustained significant smoke, fire and water damage, the city said.
No injuries were reported during the last fire, but the exterior of a neighbouring house also had minor damages.
Winnipeg fire crews also responded to a fire at a vacant home in the 200 block of Powers Street, just a few blocks from the Aberdeen fire, early Saturday morning.
Firefighters were called to that boarded-up home just before 2:30 a.m., the city said. That fire was under control within about 20 minutes, and no injuries were reported.
The cause of that fire is also under investigation.
Fires at vacant homes have become a growing problem in Winnipeg. In its news release, the city asked residents to call 911 to report incidents of people entering or trying to enter a boarded-up building.
People can contact 311 if they notice boarded windows or doors that have already been breached, the city said.