The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service battled a fire at a seven-storey historic high-rise building on Portage Avenue East early Sunday morning.
Crews responded to 138 Portage Avenue East around 2:35 a.m. to find a heavy fire in the building, which is currently under renovation.
A second alarm was quickly called, increasing the number of crew members and equipment on scene due to the potential high life hazard of the incident.
The WFPS said the fire engulfed the roof of the building and extended through the elevator shaft. Firefighters tried to enter the building to fight the fire from inside but were forced out as the building’s water suppression systems were not working.
Crews were forced to battle the flames from outside the building using aerial ladders and water streams. Both the WFPS drone and Winnipeg police’s AIR1 were used to help get a better view of the fire and direct crews to the exact location of flames.
Crews remain on scene working to fully extinguish the fire and are expected to be there for an extended amount of time.
Roads near the building are closed to traffic and people are being asked to avoid the area. The site, known as the Keewayden Building or Crowley building, was built in 1909 and is a municipally designated historic building.
The cause of the fire and the amount of damage is still unknown at this time.
