Apartment building destroyed following fire, residents displaced

More than a dozen Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews were called in to battle an apartment building blaze Tuesday.

At 4 p.m., crews responded to an automatic fire alarm going off at a three-story apartment building in the 700 block of Toronto Street.

“All occupants in the building evacuated safely,” the city says in a statement. “A neighbouring apartment building was also evacuated as a precaution.”

The city says a Winnipeg Transit bus was on scene to shelter evacuees.

“The City of Winnipeg’s Emergency Social Services (ESS) team was deployed to assist displaced residents in finding temporary accommodations.”

The City of Winnipeg says crews initially attempted to fight the fire from the inside but were forced to exit after the fire got worse. Flames covered part of the building's roof as WFPS crews on aerial ladders worked to extinguish the blaze throughout the evening.

In a post on X, Manitoba Hydro says roughly 200 customers are without power because of the fire. It did not have an estimated restoration time.

The city says those crews will remain on scene throughout the night. A drone with thermal imaging is being used to help direct water to hotspots. Toronto Street between Wellington Avenue and Notre Dame will be closed until crews leave the scene.

No injuries have been reported.

The city says the building is expected to be a total loss due to the significant smoke, fire, and water damage.

The fire’s cause is under investigation.