Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responds to fires on Furby Street, Fort Street, McDermot Avenue, and Main Street

Winnipeg, MB – The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to four structure fires within two hours this morning. This follows a busy night in which crews responded to three structure fires.

“Days like these are taxing for our service and collaboration and cooperation are key,” said Acting Chief Ryan Sneath. “Our gratitude goes out to our firefighters and paramedics on the frontlines, but also our 9-1-1 Communications members who take the calls and dispatch crews. Moving crews from station to station to ensure coverage across the city while monitoring four fires is no easy task.”

“We also thank our partners at the Winnipeg Police Service and Winnipeg Transit, as well as the Emergency Social Services team who assisted approximately 65 residents impacted by fires over the past twelve hours.”

Fire details are listed below. 

Furby Street fire
At 8:18 a.m., WFPS crews responded to reports of a garage fire in the 600 block of Furby Street.

Upon arrival on scene, crews found a garage fully engulfed in flames. They launched a fire attack, declaring the fire under control at 8:44 a.m.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Fort Street fire
At 8:37 a.m., the WFPS responded to an automatic alarm at a high-rise building at 20 Fort Street. Additional calls to 9-1-1 indicated there was smoke in the building.

With the potential for high life hazards when dealing with a high-rise fire, a second alarm was called which increased the number of crews and apparatus on scene.

When crews arrived to the scene, they located a fire in a garbage bin in the parkade which had activated the sprinkler system. The fire was quickly brought under control.

Many occupants of the building had self-evacuated. Others were able to shelter-in-place. Those who evacuated were able to return to their suites.

The fire remains under investigation, and damage estimates are not available at this time.

McDermot Avenue fire
At 9:37 a.m., the WFPS responded to reports of a fire in a three-storey, multi-family residence in the 500 block of McDermot Avenue.

When crews arrived to the scene, they found smoke and flames coming from the structure. They attacked the fire from the interior, declaring the fire extinguished at 10:28 a.m.

Some occupants of the building self-evacuated, and some were assisted out of the building by firefighters.

Two individuals were located in the structure and declared deceased at the scene.

Damage estimates are not available at this time. The structure sustained significant smoke, fire, and water damage.

Evacuees sheltered aboard a Winnipeg Transit bus at the scene. The City of Winnipeg’s Emergency Social Services (ESS) team was deployed to assist approximately 10 displaced residents in finding temporary accommodations.

The fire remains under investigation.

Main Street fire
At 10:20 a.m. this morning, WFPS crews responded to reports of a fire in a three-storey hotel in the 700 block of Main Street.

Upon arrival to the scene, crews encountered heavy smoke in the building. They launched an interior fire attack, declaring the fire under control at 11:04 a.m.

Occupants of the structure safely self-evacuated. No injuries were reported.

A Winnipeg Transit bus was sent to the scene to provide shelter for evacuees. The City’s ESS team also attended to assist displaced residents in finding temporary accommodations.

The structure sustained damage from smoke, fire, and water. Damage estimates are not available at this time.

The fire is under investigation.