WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic service extinguished two fires within two hours in the Waverley West area early Saturday morning.
The first fire broke out shortly after midnight in two vacant storage structures in the 300 block of Cadboro Road.
“Upon arrival on scene, crews encountered heavy flames and smoke coming from the structures,” said the City of Winnipeg in a press release.
The city said an offensive attack was launched, with crews using water tankers to shuttle water to the location which falls outside of the City of Winnipeg water district.
"Water tankers were used to help suppress the fire until crews were able to connect to the nearest hydrant," a spokesperson said in an email to CTV News.
While the fire was declared under control at 12:40 a.m., the city said one structure was significantly damaged and the second is believed to be a complete loss.
Crews completed a search of the structures and no occupants were found. No injuries were reported.
Reports of the second fire came shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Eaglewood Drive.
“Upon arrival, crews encountered smoke coming from two construction site trailers. The fire was very quickly brought under control. No injuries were reported,” the city said.
The cause of both fires is under investigation. No damage estimates are available at this time.
‘Needing a station’: UFFW
Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s union representing firefighters is re-highlighting the need for a fire station in the Waverly West area after the two fires.
Kelcey French is a spokesperson with United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg. He said the fires broke out within the span of an hour of each other.
“We’re needing a station in this area,” he said.
French said fires in the area can require having to pull crews from other parts of the city.
“Drivers don’t know the streets as well and response times can be an issue because of familiarity,” he said.
French said initially there weren’t any working fire hydrants on Cadboro Road but that didn’t contribute to the loss of the structure.
“There was water flowing the whole time but it takes more resources when you are using a tanker,” he said.
The union also said Waverley West is the size of Manitoba's second largest city and it has no fire hall, adding the area has a community club being built but no fire hall.
“Where is the priorities,” said French in a text message to CTV News.
“We are calling on the Mayor and Council to immediately start building a new fire hall before any tragedy occurs,” said French.
The two closest fire stations to Waverley West are located at Waverley Street and Chevrier Boulevard., and on Dalhousie Drive.
According to Google Maps, the fire on Cadboro Rd is a 10 minute drive from the station on Dalhousie Drive and a 9 minute drive from the station at Waverley Street and Chevrier Boulevard.
An interactive map can be found on the city's website, and show's where are all firestations are located throughout the city.
CTV News has reached out to the city about the latest on the need for a fire station in the area and is awaiting a reply.
Future fire hall in Waverley West
In an email to CTV News the city said:
“The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is currently working on a standards of coverage study and master plan which will examine current station coverage throughout the city and provide recommendations for the future.”
City Councillor Janice Lukes tells CTV News she expects the report to come forward by the end of the year.
Lukes said she met with the fire chief who assured her even with the area's expansion, standard response times are as they should be.
She said the process to secure land for a future fire hall is underway, and with a new school coming to the area, it will be serviced with hydrants.
Lukes said it’s also important to think about the fact that new homes have a low rate of fire. She requested numbers from the city about fires in the area which found in 2018, there were 103.
