Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responds to fire on Manitoba Avenue

Winnipeg, MB – At 1:46 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, two Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) paramedics were responding to a non-emergency medical call for service when they observed smoke in the air. They investigated and discovered smoke and flames coming from a two-storey house in the 200 block of Manitoba Avenue.

They alerted dispatchers to the emergency, and then stopped and approached the house, calling out and pounding on the doors to alert potential occupants. Two individuals responded to their alerts and evacuated from the residence with a dog. The occupants did not require transport to hospital.

WFPS 9-1-1 staff dispatched additional crews to the scene, and reassigned the original medical call to another ambulance. When fire crews arrived to the scene, the structure was fully-engulfed in flames. Crews worked quickly to knock back the flames before they made entry to fight the fire from the interior. The fire was declared under control at 4:14 p.m.

Temperatures created challenging conditions for firefighters, with the area around the scene becoming ice-covered and slippery. Crews were rotated in and out of operations as required to provide them with breaks from the cold.

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

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Residents are asked to exercise caution in the area, as water used to fight the fire has frozen and created slippery conditions.

City of Winnipeg crews will be monitoring conditions and applying sand and de-icing agents to roadways and sidewalks as required to improve traction.