Homes evacuated, firefighter taken to hospital following Point Douglas warehouse fire
Some Point Douglas area homes have been evacuated as a precaution and one firefighter has been taken to hospital as crews continue to battle a large fire burning in an abandoned warehouse that could take days to extinguish.
Grey, thick smoke could be seen billowing from the area Tuesday afternoon. Pahul Singh had been in the area on his lunch break when he saw the smoke that he said made the sky pitch black.
"There was one fire truck followed by many more, and there was a lot of ambulances and it was just crazy," he said.
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service was called to the fire around 11:20 a.m., and will likely remain on scene for several days.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Jamie Vanderhorst, assistant chief of WFPS fire and rescue operations, said so far, the reports suggest the building, located at 2 Point Douglas Avenue, was empty and there was no one inside. However, there’s been no way for fire crews to enter the building and verify.
He noted that it is safe to say the building is a total loss, as the roof has caved in, though no damage estimates are available.
“What the crews encountered was the heavy black smoke and flames from the middle, which caused the roof to collapse,” Vanderhorst said.
“At this time, because the roof collapsed, it is hard to get at those hot spots without making that entry.”
He noted since firefighters can’t gain entry to the building, they have to find other ways to extinguish the fire from outside the structure.
Vanderhorst added that since it’s a warm day outside, they’ve been having to rotate crews. The city said about 33 fire and paramedic apparatus have been dispatched, with around 100 WFPS members involved in the fire fight.
“We also are encountering some issues with hydro wires,” he said.
“Even though apparently they are off. It is very hard for our apparatuses to get in there to deploy an aerial to get it from up above.”
The Winnipeg Police Service confirmed to CTV News it is assisting with the fire. Police said eastbound Higgins Avenue is now closed at Annabella Street, with traffic being rerouted north and west. Southbound. Higgins Avenue is closed at Sutherland Avenue, with traffic being rerouted west.
The public is asked to avoid the area and find alternate routes.
“We’re looking at it to be a prolonged event,” Vanderhorst said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
Area resident Shaone Ritchie, who lives within blocks of the fire, said the blaze is not surprising.
"It is becoming a common occurrence around here," he said. "It would be nice to see it cleaned up because then we can get this neighbourhood back to the way it was – which is family oriented."
Tuesday night, in a release, the City of Winnipeg said approximately 10 nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution. It said Emergency Social Services was called to help displaced residents find a temporary place to stay. It was unknown Tuesday night when they would be able to return to thier homes.
The smoke from the fire prompted the city to advise people with breathing conditions to stay inside and keep doors and windows closed. The city said Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service had informed Manitoba Conservation and Climate of the fire so it can assess the environmental impact on the site.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.