Winnipeg crews respond to fire at abandoned home in Elmwood

Fire crews on scene in the 300 block of William Newton Avenue on May 30, 2023.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) spent nearly two hours battling a blaze at a vacant home in Winnipeg’s Elmwood area on Tuesday evening.

Crews were called to the fire at a house in the 300 block of William Newton Avenue around 6:55 p.m.

“The neighbourhood has abandoned houses, a few in the area,” said District 3 Chief Larry Szarko.

“Smoke was noticed by the residents in the area coming from the rear of the structure.”

Once crews were at the scene, they found smoke coming from the home. Firefighters initially attacked the fire from outside the structure, but once it was safe to go inside, they entered the home and fought the fire from inside.

There was no one inside the house at the time of the fire, which was under control by 8:45 p.m.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and there are no damage estimates available at this time.

Szarko added that the WFPS is called to vacant homes “quite often.”

“A lot of these buildings are boarded up because the tenancy is gone and the landlords are not taking care of the buildings,” he said.

The City of Winnipeg is taking steps to stop these fires at abandoned homes by charging vacant building owners for fire response services.