Thick black smoke billowing high above Canad Inns Stadium drew onlookers from across Winnipeg to the former home of the Blue Bombers on Tuesday night.
The Winnipeg Fire Department received numerous reports about the blaze and when crews arrived, they found a storage shed in the facility’s south east corner fully engulfed.
“I thought it was bigger. I was driving along Valour Road and I thought Polo Park was on fire or something,” said onlooker Mac Sewart.
Bomber fan Gary Stevenson could see the smoke from his house.
“I live about 20 blocks away and we seen the smoke so we came to watch it burn,” he said.
Initial crowds gathered across the street from the stadium to watch fire crews battle the blaze, but police soon moved them back and closed off surrounding streets.
Fire fighters were concerned gas tanks inside the shed could explode.
“I’m glad no one got hurt,” said Sewart, “I look forward to see if it was an accident or not.”
It didn’t take long for Winnipeg police to speculate arson as a possible cause of the blaze.
They say they believe it was intentionally set and could be linked to recent reports of mischief at the stadium.
