Winnipeg suite set on fire, man arrested: police

(File image.)

An arrest was made after a suite in the city’s West End was set on fire and a man barricaded himself in the building, according to the Winnipeg Police Service.

Around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, police received a report that man set a fire inside a two-storey residential suite in the 700 block of Sargent. Police were told that the man was potentially armed with a weapon, and that he barricaded himself in the suite.

When officers got to the scene, they went into the barricaded basement suite, where the fire had been started, and found a man armed with a pipe. Police said the man followed police directions to drop the pipe. He was then brought to safety and taken into custody.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service was also on scene and fought the fire from inside the building. They declared the fire under control by 9:40 p.m. and contained the fire to the suite where it started.

About a dozen people were evacuated. Four officers were treated for smoke inhalation, and the accused was taken to hospital in stable condition.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and there are no damage estimates at this time,

A man in his 60s is facing a charge of arson with disregard for human life. He is in custody.