'It looks like a warzone': Tenants view remains of building destroyed by fire on McGillivray Boulevard
Black smoke was once again rising into the sky over South Winnipeg Friday morning. It was a flare up from a massive fire at a building on McGillivray Boulevard, which burned for hours Wednesday.
Now that the fire is extinguished, the damage remains visible to the tenants.
"The aluminum rims on the vehicles melted to the point where they are puddles underneath the vehicle," said Mervin Corbin, owner of Corbin Auto Sales. "It looks like a warzone."
Corbin's auto dealership was one of the businesses in the building that caught fire. He says he moved his vehicles to a compound next to it, hoping they would be safe.
Instead, the fire that began Wednesday afternoon, and would burn on for hours afterward would spread across the entire area.
It destroyed the building housing Pool Pros and Spartans Gymnastics, and consumed five of Corbin's vehicles. "
"It's hard to put into words," said Corbin. "It's still a little bit of shock."
Fire officials say they were confronted with an incredibly challenging blaze Wednesday. It began on the exterior of the building, and then quickly spread, fed by a severed gas line which was just a few feet from the fire's point of origin.
"A severed gas line prior to even the first fire truck arrival," said Mike Siemens, the Fire Chief for the R.M. of Macdonald. "So we were met with conditions that escalated way further than they normally do."
Siemens says fighting a fire with a severed gas line is extra challenging. "This particular business was right beside the natural gas line. The main service for the entire complex was going in there,” he said. “So, we had a large quantity of natural gas entering the building.
“Then whatever the mechanical failure on the outside, due to the heat from the fire, that severed whatever it was, (resulting in an) equipment malfunction, thereby leaving us with natural gas burning on the exterior of that building. And that is a large reason that the natural gas, that fire extended to the depth the business portion of the properties."
Siemens says the building itself is a complete loss, with millions of dollars in damage. The figure doesn't include the building's contents, or Mervin Corbin's vehicles.
"It is disheartening," said Corbin. "I lost my job last year due to Covid. And so I started my own business. The lockdowns affected business. And then right when it seemed things were opening up again, unfortunately this happens."
Still Corbin says he's grateful no one was injured in the fire, and that the vehicles were insured.
The cause of the fire is still unknown and under investigation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.