Roads closed, home destroyed in Elgin Avenue fire

The fire in the 300 block of Elgin Avenue began on Sunday night.

A Sunday night fire on Elgin Avenue has forced road closures in Winnipeg’s West Alexander area.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service was called to the fire at a duplex in the 300 block of Elgin around 10:20 p.m.

When crews got to the scene, heavy smoke and flames were coming from the home. Firefighters initially launched an interior attack, but had to get out of the house and transition to an exterior attack due to deteriorating conditions.

Everyone inside the duplex got out before crews arrived and no one was hurt.

Firefighters remain on scene Monday morning, and are using aerial ladders and hose streams to extinguish the fire. They are expected to remain on the scene throughout the morning.

Elgin Avenue is closed between Princess and Ellen Street.

The cold weather is causing challenges for crews, as the area is slippery and covered in ice. Firefighters are being rotated in and out of operations to give breaks from the cold.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. There are no damage estimates at this time, but the duplex is likely destroyed due to fire, smoke and water damage.

Once crews are done at the scene and the roads reopen, drivers and pedestrians need to be careful because the water used to fight the fire has frozen over and made the area slippery.

The City of Winnipeg will monitor the area and apply sand and other de-icing tools to the roads and sidewalks to reduce slipperiness.