Fire officials are investigating the possibility of yet another arson fire in the city today.
Early Friday morning, flames ripped through a home on Hudson Street in the Fort Garry area. Neighbours who witnessed the blaze are still in shock.
“It’s something you don’t think of. You don’t dream that something like this is going to happen, not this close to home,” said Nicole Firth, a next door neighbour to the home.
No one was injured in the blaze, but officials with the city said there was an excessive fire load in the home. Firth said it was that clutter, which made the home an easy target.
“I had called the city last year a couple of times, and had warned them. I said there was stuff piled inside the house from floor to ceiling, and it’s a fire hazard.”
Police and fire officials are investigating to see if it was arson that caused the fire. If that’s the case, it will add to a growing number of arson fires within the city in the past week. And that has the Fort Garry neighborhood on edge.
“It’s very scary. I want some peace of mind knowing that is something I’m not going to have to be on top of every night,” said neighbour Cara Galka.
Winnipeg police will not release the exact number of arson fires reported in the past week, but they say it’s concerning. Const. Jason Michalyshen said homeowners need to be on the lookout.
“Let’s be diligent with respect to disregarding items. Let’s not leave opportunities for that individual who might be tempted or be the least bit curious. Let’s remove that opportunity,” said Michalyshen.
The estimated damage in the Friday morning fire is over $500,000, but neighbours said they are thankful that was the only loss.
“At least it’s not as bad as it could have been, and no one was injured,” said Firth.
