Cause of Manitoba bridge fires determined

A fire that badly damaged two bridges and prompted a highway closure in southern Manitoba has been deemed ‘accidental in nature,’ according to the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC).

Crews from the Hanover Fire Department were called to a bridge on Provincial Road 311 east of New Bothwell in the early evening hours of May 10.

A fire that started in a nearby field had spread to the bridge, which stretches over the Manning Canal.

Images and video from the scene showed the bridge engulfed in flames, along with heavy smoke billowing into the sky.

“The flames were extremely high at that point,” witness Christiana Gehrer told CTV News the following day. “And the black smoke coming from the wood burning was incredibly dense and scary going across the bridge.”

Another bridge in the area – on Municipal Road 26 East – also caught on fire during the incident.

According to Hanover Fire Chief Paul Wiebe, it took crews several hours to extinguish the blazes.

“We don’t have hydrants here,” Wiebe told CTV News. “So we’re hauling all of our water with tankers…. It just takes a lot of water and a lot of time.”

On Tuesday, the OFC announced its investigation has concluded and determined the fire was an accident.

The OFC is reminding Manitobans not to leave fires burning unattended and to check with municipalities if burning restrictions are in place.

Highway 311 is still closed in both directions from PR 216 to PR 206. Local traffic can still travel, but the bridge site is closed to all traffic.

A provincial spokesperson told CTV News on Tuesday that Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) are assessing the damage to both bridges, and expects the evaluation to be completed this summer.

The spokesperson said the assessment will include repair and replacement alternatives.

The total cost of damage to the bridges has not been determined.

- With files from CTV’s Kayla Rosen and Jon Hendricks