A faulty bathroom fan is being blamed for a fire in a Wolseley strip mall Sunday morning.
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service says it fought a fire in the 900 block of Portage Ave. near Arlington St. just before 8 a.m.
A staff member confirmed to CTV News it happened at Valentine’s Fitness and Weight Loss Centre.
When fire crews arrived, they found smoke coming from the eaves of the building.
Thanks to the sprinkler system, they managed to extinguish the fire in minutes.
No one was inside at the time and no injuries were reported, but officials say the building suffered serious smoke damage.
Natasha Henning, a personal trainer at the gym, says the fire smoldered all night long, making the ceiling so hot, it caused a water pipe to burst—which turned out to be a blessing.
Water spurting from the pipe helped put out the fire and may have saved the gym, she said.
While it could have been worse, the timing is unfortunate for the 40 people who were four weeks into a 12-week weight loss program, said Henning.
“Everybody was doing really well,” she said, adding she hopes to get participants back on track as soon as possible.
But with over half of the gym under an inch of water, they’re out of luck for a while.
