St. Vital house fire sends firefighter to hospital

Crews on scene of the fire on Sachet Place on Jan. 25, 2023. (Source: Taylor Brock/CTV News)

A house fire in St. Vital on Wednesday evening sent one firefighter to the hospital.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) was first called to the incident at 7:40 p.m. at a single-storey home on Sachet Place.

When crews got to the scene, they found an attached garage that was fully involved, according Randy Erb, acting district chief with the WFPS. Firefighters launched an interior attack and the fire was declared under control just before 9 p.m.

“The fire was well-involved,” he said.

“It was mainly contained to the garage area. Crews knocked it down fairly quick.”

Erb noted that one firefighter went to the hospital as a precaution. Everyone inside the home got out safely before crews arrived. There are no damage estimates at this time.

Erb added that the cold weather conditions made things difficult for crews, adding they had issues with freezing lines and breathing equipment.

“We need many crews because we had to switch out crews because of equipment freezing up,” he said.

The fire is believed to have been caused accidentally due to a vehicle plugged inside an attached garage. The WFPS recommends that people don’t plug in vehicles inside attached garages, because this can start fires. Residents are also urged to regularly inspect extension cords to make sure they are not damaged.