A fire that destroyed a condo building in Winnipeg Wednesday also lead to about 75 nearby residents being without power overnight.

The blaze was reported Dec. 28 in the 800 block of St. Paul Avenue in the city's West End.

In order to allow crews to tear down the building following the fire, Manitoba Hydro had to cut power to the area.

Yamini Talwar is one of the residents affected by the power outage.

"(It was) very, very, very cold. No heater," said Talwar. She also wasn't able to drive to work Thursday as water that spilled off from the battle against the fire covered her garage door and froze it shut.

Hydro said crews had to wait until the situation was deemed safe after the fire.

"Our crews were there all night on standby but because the fire department is in charge of making sure the fire is out, making sure the demolition takes place, they won't allow anyone back into the area until they determine it's safe," said Scott Powell from Manitoba Hydro.

Power was restored about 16 hours after it was first turned off, with the lights coming back on around 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

"We should've got a little bit of warning when they were turning off power. They should have come to the front and given a warning that power is going out," said Talwar.

Margarita Openiano is another resident who did not have power. She said she's used to power brownouts coming from the Phillipines, but was caught off guard by the one Wednesday.

"Suddenly it's a blackout so kids are shouting. They are scared," she said.

Once power was restored, Openiano said the first thing she did was start cooking food for her four sons.

Hydro advised there are a number of things people can do to be prepared for a power outage, such as having candles, matches, warm blankets and non-perishable food available.

- with a report from CTV's Helen Cholakis

Manitoba Hydro tips for power outages

Prepare for a Power Outage

Make an emergency kit and know where it is.

Emergency Kit Supplies:

  • important telephone numbers, like Hydro's Emergency Phone Numbers:
  • 480-5900, in Winnipeg
  • 1-888-624-9376 (1-888-MBHYDRO), outside Winnipeg

• your Manitoba Hydro account number;

• flashlight;

• batteries;

• battery powered radio;

• if you have a fireplace, keep firewood handy;

• non-perishable food;

• matches and candles;

• warm clothes and blankets;

• medications you need;

• bottled water.

What to do in a Power Outage

At Manitoba Hydro, we do our best to make sure you always have power at the flick of a switch, but at times, due to Manitoba's weather conditions, like ice storms, lightening or high winds, we are unable to guarantee uninterrupted service.

Know what to do if your power goes out.

Print and keep this information handy.

1. Find a flashlight.

2. Check the circuit breaker panel or fuse box. If required, replace fuses, with the same size only, or reset breakers. If you aren't sure what to do, call an electrician.

3. If everything is okay in the circuit breaker panel or fuse box, check to see if the power is out in your neighbourhood

4. Call Manitoba Hydro:

  • 480-5900, in Winnipeg
  • 1-888-624-9376 (1-888-MBHYDRO), outside Winnipeg

5. Have your account number with you. (It's on your bill.) This number helps us pinpoint exactly where you are and helps us get your lights back on quickly.

6. Turn off all of your lights, except one to signal you when the power comes back on.

7. Turn off all appliances with sensitive electronics such as garage door openers, VCRs, microwaves, TVs, computers, etc. Don't turn off your fridge and freezer. (You might forget to turn them back on.)