City working on dealing with properities prone to fires

A push is on at Winnipeg City Hall to crack down on derelict properties prone to fire.

Laura Novak lives down the street from a vacant property on College Avenue, that went up in flames last month.

"It was a little scary the last fire that was here cause it did take out the other house right beside it," said Novak.

16 people were forced to leave that home next door, and three firefighters were sent to hospital battling the blaze.

"I don't like them because it has a tendency to draw in unsavoury elements," said Novak.

City council passed a motion Thursday spearheaded by Coun. Kevin Klein, to explore the idea of having homeowners of vacant buildings pick up the tab, for what it costs the city to battle these types of fires.

"We have to hold homeowners accountable for the costs that we have to incur, and other residents have to incur," said Klein

Klein says the price tag would include salaries, equipment, and water use. It's estimated the cost to tackle a fire at a single-family home is upwards of $10,000.

"We need to encourage the owners to build on that property, to repurpose that property, or sell it."

There would be exceptions where owners wouldn't have to pay, including unrelated arsons and fires caused by natural disasters and vehicle collisions.

In a statement, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) Chief Christian Schmidt said the service has already been working with other departments on a cost recovery plan and says the motion is helpful in moving this forward.

“We also continue to work with the city’s finance, legal and bylaw teams to determine any limitations, and identify any challenges or roadblocks to this ongoing work,” said Schmidt.

Coun. Ross Eadie says there are more than 200 vacant properties in his ward alone. He says while fines and penalties will convince some owners to act, they won't move all of them. He'd like to see the city do weekly inspections to make sure derelict buildings are properly boarded up and that no one is inside.

"Ultimately, the people who end up living next to these things, are the victims," said Eadie.

Novak says whatever it takes to make her neighbourhood safer, as this was not the first blaze at the vacant house on her street.

"I am not sure how this fire started, but I know the fire before started because there were people squatting," said Novak.

The WFPS says between January and March this year it responded to at least eight vacant building fires. It also says the number of fires in vacant structures more than doubled between 2017 and 2021, from at least 30 fires in 2017 to at least 64 fires in 2021.