Residents trapped in Winnipeg retirement home during overnight fire
An overnight fire at a Winnipeg retirement home left some residents trapped inside the building, and sent six people to the hospital.
At 1:20 a.m. on Thursday, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) was called to the fire at the St. Josaphat Selo-Villa, an eight-storey high-rise on McGregor Street for peopled aged 55+.
Several 911 calls indicated that residents were trapped in the building because of heavy smoke in the hallways, and that several people with disabilities needed help getting out.
Due to the potential risks, the WFPS called in a second alarm to increase the number of crews on scene.
Once firefighters arrived at the building, they found heavy smoke and flames. Crews went inside to fight the fire and rescue those trapped in their suites. Some residents were helped down the stairs, while others were rescued from the windows using ground ladders.
Paramedics assessed about 25 people, with six sent to the hospital in stable condition. No members of the WFPS were hurt.
An aerial ladder firetruck was used to help extinguish the fire, which was declared under control by 2:10 a.m. Firefighters then extinguished hotspots and ventilated smoke.
Most of the damage was contained to a suite on the third floor, but several other areas sustained smoke and water damage. There are no damage estimates at this time, and the fire was likely accidentally caused by an electrical issue.
Winnipeg Transit brought buses to the scene to provide shelter for residents. The City of Winnipeg’s Emergency Social Services team also went to the scene to help about 15 displaced residents find temporary accommodations.
The city notes that the cold weather brought challenges to firefighters, with the area around the scene becoming slippery and covered in ice. Crews were given breaks from the cold as required.
The city will be monitoring the area and applying sand and de-icing tools to the roads and sidewalks as needed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.
A teen was found buried in a basement in New York. An engraved ring helped police learn her identity two decades later
For more than two decades, the unknown victim was nicknamed "Midtown Jane Doe" because she was found in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of New York City. But this week, investigators finally revealed her identity.