Dozens of emergency units rushed to Winnipeg’s Glenelm area on Wednesday morning, where three homes and a garage were burning.
A large portion of the roof of a two-storey house was consumed as flames jumped to the neighbouring homes and heavy smoke filled the air in the northeast neighbourhood.
Crews were called to Cobourg Avenue, between Beatrice Street and Henderson Highway, around 6:40 a.m., said a news release from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
The initial call was about two houses on fire but when crews arrived they found the flames had extended to the third home and a garage.
Everyone inside the homes got out safely before firefighters arrived.
More crews were called in through the day to help, according to the city’s incident response website, which lists a total of 33.
They entered the two-storey house where the fire is believed to have started but were forced out by the extreme conditions.They fought flames and smoke from outside until conditions improved and they could re-enter and attack from the inside.
While in the house, they found a cat that had died.
Firefighters also entered the other two homes and garage to extinguish those flames. However, they were forced to get out of one of the houses, a 1½-storey, as conditions deteriorated.
An aerial ladder truck was used to pour water onto the house while protecting yet another neighbouring home.
“We’re fighting a very stubborn fire today,” said acting District Chief Darren Bayluk.
The 1½-storey home has had several additions made to it, and the roof area, over the years, creating problems in trying to get access to some of the flames, he said.
Bayluk expects some crews will remain at the scene through much of the day. A fire watch will then be set up with someone on site to watch for hot spots flaring up again.
“It hits close to home, [and] it’s heartbreaking to see,” said Amanda Chan, who lives across the alley from the burned homes.
She said the neighbourhood is a tight-knit one, where everyone knows each other’s name. Chan expects neighbours will rally to help the impacted families however they can.
“Thankfully, everyone’s OK,” she said.
One person was assessed by paramedics but did not need to go to hospital. A firefighter also required medical attention at the scene. No other injuries were reported, the WFPS said in its release.
Two of the houses sustained significant damage while the third house and garage have moderate damage, the news release said.
Full damage estimates are not yet available. The cause of the fire is under investigation.