Hair straightener the cause of one of two fires in Winnipeg Saturday night

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The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) was kept busy on Saturday with crews responding to two fires, including one that was caused by a hair straightener.

The first fire began around 10:37 p.m. at the City of Winnipeg’s Fort Rouge Transit Garage.

When firefighters got to the scene, they found a bus in one of the parking bays had gone up in flames. Crews quickly extinguished the fire, declaring it under control by 11 p.m.

The WFPS also worked to ventilate and search the garage. No one was found in the garage and no one was hurt.

There are no damage estimates at this time. The cause of the fire is under investigation, with preliminary observations showing that it was not suspicious in nature.

The second and unrelated fire began at 10:52 p.m. at a house in the 100 block of Andrews Street.

When crews got to the home, they found smoke coming from the one-and-a-half-storey house. Firefighters fought the flames from inside the home, declaring it under control by 11:17 p.m.

Everyone inside the house got out safely before WFPS arrived. No one was hurt. The city’s Emergency Social Services Team came to the scene to help residents find temporary accommodations.

The preliminary investigation suggests that the fire was accidental and caused by an electrical hair straightener being placed near combustible materials.

There are no damage estimates at this time.