Cause of Brandon condo fire that caused $11M in damage revealed
A fire at a condominium complex in Brandon, Man., resulted in $11 million in damage, according to a spokesperson from the Manitoba Government.
The fire broke out on Tuesday night at the building in the 1400 block of Pacific Avenue, with firefighters working through the night and into Wednesday to extinguish the fire and put out hot spots.
According to the province, the Office of the Fire Commissioner investigated and determined the fire was started accidentally through the careless disposal of smoking materials.
CTV News Winnipeg previously reported the top level of the four-storey building had extensive fire damage, while the lower levels sustained water damage. No injuries have been reported as a result of the fire.
"If there is any good news story in this situation, it's that everyone was accounted for and everyone is safe," said Dean Hammond, director of emergency social services for the City of Brandon.
"A lot of these people are starting from scratch – they have lost everything. So it is no doubt a tough time for sure."
Hammond said 82 residents of the building have been impacted, with nearly half staying in a hotel in Brandon and the rest staying with friends and family.
He said the city is working with different organizations to provide interim and long-term housing for those evacuated in the fire.
"Really we are looking at those short-term needs, making sure that people are lodged, that people are fed. For those that were only able to leave with the clothes on their back, can we get them some more clothing. These types of things," Hammond said.
He said organizations in Brandon, including United Way and Salvation Army, are collecting donations to help those impacted by the blaze.
"The outpouring from the community has just been absolutely phenomenal – I mean Brandon is a very giving and caring community and everyone has expressed concern about these individuals and everyone wants to help," Hammond said.
He said the city is working on creating a web page to direct people to the organizations that are accepting donations. He said if there are any organizations that are collecting donations, they should contact the city.
- With files from CTV’s Mike Arsenault and Daniel Halmarson.
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