Fire at Brandon condo building extinguished; police ensuring all residents accounted for
Police in Brandon are hopeful that all residents of a four-storey condominium are safe after a fire tore through the building Tuesday night, sending flames shooting from the roof.
Dramatic photos and videos posted to social media show onlookers watching the building go up in flames. According to police, the building was engulfed on Tuesday night, but has now been extinguished.
As of Wednesday morning, firefighters remain on scene to monitor for flare-ups and hot spots.
Sgt. Kirby Sararas, a public information officer with the Brandon Police Service, told CTV News Winnipeg that officers were called to the complex at 1400 Pacific Avenue at 8:46 p.m. Sararas said officers were able to enter the 48-unit building, and knocked on all doors, assisting with the evacuation of the building. Neighbouring buildings were also evacuated out of precaution, but no other structures were damaged.
Sararas said the police service was not aware of any injuries, as authorities are still working to determine if all the residents have been accounted for.
“We are hopeful that everyone made it out,” Sararas said.
Sararas said the cause of the fire is not known, and due to the extent of the fire, it will take time to determine. Sararas added that the top level of the home is extensively fire-damaged, while the lower levels sustained a lot of water damage.
Residents of the building can go to the Victoria Inn to register and get help with temporary accommodations. Even those who already have alternate accommodations lined up are asked to go to the inn. Once they are registered and accounted for, they can leave for their accommodations.
Pacific Avenue is still blocked off to drivers and pedestrians. Police ask people to avoid the area.
Police will begin an investigation into the cause of the fire after fire inspectors assess the building for any safety concerns.
- With files from CTV’s Danton Unger, Tim Salzen and Kayla Rosen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.