At 4:01 a.m. on Thursday, November 17, 2022, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to reports of a fire in two-storey townhouse in the 100 block of Doncaster Street.
When crews arrived at the scene, they found smoke coming from the structure. They were able to enter the building to fight the fire from inside. The fire was extinguished by 5:29 a.m.
One occupant of the townhouse self-evacuated. They were assessed by WFPS Paramedics and transported to hospital in stable condition. Prior to the arrival of crews, two bystanders from the neighbourhood entered the building in an attempt to search for any additional occupants who may have been trapped inside. Both were assessed and treated by Paramedics and then transported to hospital – one in stable condition and one in unstable condition.
WFPS crews located a cat in the townhouse. An attempt to resuscitate the animal was unsuccessful. A second cat was located deceased.
Two townhouse units received significant damage. Additional units sustained smoke damage. The City’s Emergency Social Services team was deployed to the scene to help displaced residents in finding temporary accommodations.
Preliminary observations suggest the fire was caused by a smoking accident. Residents are reminded of the following safety tips:
- Smoking material should always be extinguished in a proper ashtray or deep metal container.
- Cigarette butts should never be thrown from balconies, car windows, or disposed of near any vegetation such as grass, leaves or brush.
- Never use a plant pot as an ashtray. Potting soil is a mix of dirt and a number of combustible organic materials such as peat moss, shredded wood and minerals which are combustible. When a butt is put into a planter, it can smolder for several hours. Once the container heats up, it can crack, giving the smoldering material oxygen and the opportunity to spread to other combustibles such as decks, balconies, walls, etc.
No damage estimates are available at this time.