Winnipeg, MB – At 11:19 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) crews responded to reports of a house explosion on Camrose Bay.
When they arrived on scene, crews found a house that was destroyed by an explosion. Debris from the destroyed house was scattered on the road, and just the foundation remained standing. The explosion caused damage, and ignited fires, at surrounding homes and garages.
Crews launched a fire attack, using master streams and aerial ladder trucks to apply water to the fires. The WFPS drone was launched, and the images were used to direct crews to hotspots. Manitoba Hydro also attended the scene to turn gas off to surrounding properties.
The situation was declared under control at 1:08 p.m. Crews are expected to remain on scene throughout the afternoon. Residents should continue to avoid the area.
Firefighters helped evacuate some residents of neighbouring homes, while others were able to shelter in place. Crews completed a search of the surrounding structures that were damaged by the explosion, and no occupants were found. One dog was rescued from one of the neighbouring homes.
There were no injuries reported. However, it is still unclear if anyone was inside the home that exploded.
The explosion, and resulting fires, caused significant fire and structural damage to several neighbouring structures. It will be some time before residents of these homes will be able to return.
WFPS’ Accelerant Detection K9 was deployed to assist fire investigators at the scene. The cause of the explosion, and resulting fires, remains under investigation.