'It still takes a toll': WFPS deputy chief reacts to fiery long weekend
Winnipeg firefighters had their hands full over the long weekend as they tackled several significant blazes in less than 48 hours.
Between Friday night and Sunday evening, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) crews responded to eight fires – primarily in the city’s core and north end.
“Every extra fire puts additional risk on our crews in general,” WFPS deputy chief Scott Wilkinson told CTV News. “And in the summer months, there’s heat issues and there’s different risks in the buildings.”
Wilkinson said WFPS typically does see an increase in fires throughout the summer – adding some are incendiary or opportunistic blazes. He noted the fires from the weekend were still under investigation.
He said the total volumes of calls over a busy weekend puts a strain on WFPS resources as fully involved fires require a lot of personnel. Three different platoons responded to the blazes smattered throughout the two-day stretch, he said, adding it’s fortunate the fires didn’t happen during the same shift.
“That would have even been more demanding, but it still takes a toll. We saw multiples in one shift, and the resources get spread thin,” Wilkinson elaborated. “And there’s a lot of hard work that has to be done.”
Of note, two of the properties – a vacant two-storey home on William Avenue and a vacant commercial building on Logan Avenue – underwent emergency demolition. Wilkinson said demolitions are typically ordered for two reasons; safety or access.
“In some of them, the question is structural stability and whether it’s safe for that building to remain standing where there’s a risk to the public,” Wilkinson explained. “And in other cases, it’s whether we need to do some demolition to access the fire and complete extinguishment, which is what occurred on Logan Avenue.”
Wilkinson said, thankfully, no injuries were reported during the rash of blazes.
“Our number one thing is protecting the public and keeping our personnel safe as they work,” Wilkinson said. “We’ve obviously had some more difficult calls in the past weeks, that weren’t injury-free, but these ones, we take solace in our crews being able to do a great job and keep everyone safe.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I got no remorse': Greg Fertuck, convicted of murdering missing spouse, sentenced to life in prison
Greg Fertuck will spend life behind bars with no chance of parole until he is 90 years old, a judge ruled on Thursday at Saskatoon's Court of King's Bench.
'Ford's dry summer begins': All LCBO stores closed as workers go on strike
All LCBO stores are closed on Friday as thousands of workers hit the picket lines after their union and employer failed to reach an agreement.
Britain's Labour on track for landslide victory, exit poll suggests, amid anger with Conservatives
Britain's Labour Party headed for a landslide victory Friday in a parliamentary election, an exit poll suggested, as voters punished the governing Conservatives after 14 years of economic and political upheaval.
Saskatchewan has the lowest hourly minimum wage. How does it stack up to the rest of Canada?
Hourly minimum wages increased in several Canadian provinces this spring with more on the horizon, which economists say will likely impact workers and businesses differently.
Trying to sell or buy a home this summer? What a realtor says you should know
In the first few weeks of summer, the real estate sector is experiencing an upturn marked by more housing inventory, a Canadian realtor says
No Frills grocery stores drop 'multi-buy' offer
As receipts tick ever higher for Canadians at the grocery store and shoppers continue to search for savings, one Canadian grocer has ended a perceived deal.
Hurricane Beryl churns toward Mexico after leaving destruction in Jamaica and eastern Caribbean
After leaving a trail of destruction across the eastern Caribbean and at least nine people dead, Hurricane Beryl weakened as it chugged over open water toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday, going from the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic to Category 2 by the afternoon.
CSIS director David Vigneault stepping down after seven years on the job
David Vigneault says he is stepping down from his job at the head of Canada’s spy agency. The director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, who spent seven years at the helm, is leaving the public service altogether.
Biden tells Democratic governors he needs more sleep and plans to stop scheduling events after 8 p.m.
U.S. President Joe Biden told Democratic governors during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday that part of his plan going forward is to stop scheduling events after 8 p.m. so that he can get more sleep, according to three sources briefed on his comments.