A convenience store in Winnipeg’s West Broadway neighbourhood will be demolished after a fire ripped through the building on Friday night, the city says.
Young Food Mart, on Young Street near Balmoral Street, appeared charred by a blaze on Saturday morning.
The city says crews responded to reports of the fire around 9 p.m. Friday and found heavy flames and smoke “pouring” from the building when they arrived, according to a Saturday news release.
Hose lines and an aerial ladder truck were used to put out the blaze, which was declared under control around 11:30 p.m., the city says.
Paramedics assessed one person who self-evacuated from the store before crews arrived, but was not taken to hospital. No other injuries were reported.
Residents of nearby apartments were temporarily evacuated as a precaution and stayed in a Winnipeg Transit bus before returning to their homes, the city says.
Bambi Hudson says she saw the store on fire from her apartment window around 10 p.m. on Friday.
“All I heard was explosions,” she said Saturday, adding that there was “smoke everywhere.”
“There was smoke in my apartment and my baby has asthma.”
An emergency demolition of the building has been ordered due to substantial fire, smoke and water damage, the city says.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.