Heavy smoke can be seen in the Transcona area Monday as the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service battles a blaze in the RM of Springfield, prompting the evacuation of some schools in the area.
The City of Winnipeg said the fire is at Saunders Street and Gunn Road and involves asphalt tanks. The area between Day Street, Redonda Street, North Perimeter and Paulley Drive/Larche Avenue is closed to traffic.
Around 1:20 p.m. Monday, the city said the fire is contained to asphalt tanks.
Businesses within 800 metres of the fire have been evacuated. Some of the schools in the area have also been evacuated and seen classes cancelled, including the Harold Hatcher Elementary School, Murdoch MacKay and Collège Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau. For more information, people are asked to contact school divisions.
⚠️Due to smoke in the area, classes have been cancelled for the day at Murdoch MacKay & Collège Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau. Students needn't return to school & won't be marked absent. Students from Sunrise SD will remain at the school until transportation has been arranged.
— River East Transcona (@RETSDschools) October 22, 2018
⚠️The WFPS asked these schools to go into hold-and-secure mode (locking all external doors) to prevent smoke from entering the buildings: Arthur Day, École Margaret-Underhill, John W. Gunn, Radisson & Transcona Collegiate. Classes will be dismissed at the same time as usual.
— River East Transcona (@RETSDschools) October 22, 2018
People across Winnipeg shared photos of smoke from the fire to social media.
The city advises people living in this area to stay inside and keep doors and windows closed.
More to come…