Winnipeg firefighters battle 3 block heater blazes in 12 hours

As the temperatures drop, the number of fires involving plugged-in block heaters is on the rise.

On Saturday, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) crews fought three different fires in less than 12 hours, all believed to be accidentally caused by a block heater.

The first blaze broke out around 11:45 a.m. in a single-family bungalow on Yorkvalley Way. Crews arrived to find flames coming from a vehicle inside the home’s attached garage. The fire was contained to the garage and declared under control less than a half-hour later.

Everyone in the home made it out safely before crews arrived and no one was injured.

A few hours later, crews were dispatched to Four Mile Road for reports of a fire at a two-storey single-family home.

Firefighters found flames and smoke billowing from the attached garage. After launching an interior fire attack and using water tankers to bring water to the scene, the fire was declared under control at 5:22 p.m.

Damages were mostly contained to the garage and no injuries were reported.

Crews were called to a third fire believed to involve a block heater around 8:30 p.m. at a single-family bi-level home in the 600 block of David Street.

When firefighters got to the scene, they found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading to the house and attached garage.

The fire was declared under control just after 10 p.m. No one was injured.

To help prevent these fires, WFPS issued several reminders to residents, including:

• Check their block heater and extension cords for damage before plugging in their vehicle outdoors;
• Replace their extension cord if they’ve accidentally driven away with it still plugged in;
• Do not plug their vehicle inside a garage, regardless if it’s attached or detached;
• Do not overload extension cords;
• Do not run electrical or extension cords through structures or under mats;
• Do not let extension cords run through water or snow on the ground.

 

Accidental fire on Burnell Street

WFPS crews responded to a fourth fire Saturday night, believed to be caused by an electrical malfunction.

Around 9:23 p.m., firefighters were called to a two-storey home in the 500 block of Burnell Street.

When crews arrived, they found smoke coming from the structure. They fought the fire from inside and declared it under control nearly 15 minutes later.

Everyone living in the home managed to get out before crews arrived and no one was injured.