Flames shoot from top of funnelator outside of Millennium Library

Fire crews have figured out the cause of the fire coming out of the downtown's funnelator Friday afternoon. Fire crews say the funnelator experienced an electrical short.

The Winnipeg fire department responded around 4:30 p.m. Aug. 1 to the fire in the funnelator, outside of the Millennium Library.

Transit traffic was backed up for several blocks while fire crews put out the blaze on Graham Avenue, which sent flames out of the top of the digital media display.

The damage from the fire is estimated at $25,000.

The city says the funnelator was put in and operated in by Centre Venture, part of SHED, winnipeg's Sports, Hospitality, and Entertainment District.

• 

  Fire and smoke pour from the top of the "funnelator" outside the Millennium Library on Friday, August 1, 2014. (Photo courtesy Jennifer Tibbo)

• 

  Firefighters doused flames that shot out of the top of the funnelator in downtown Winnipeg on Aug. 1, 2014.