Winnipeg, MB – At 3:42 p.m. on Friday, March 29, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to reports of fire in a two-storey house in the 500 block of Alexander Avenue.
When crews arrived on scene, smoke was coming from the structure. Firefighters launched an interior fire attack and had the fire under control at 4:30 p.m.
Residents were able to safely self-evacuate before WFPS crews arrived. Firefighters completed a search of the structure and rescued multiple cats. No injuries were reported.
The City of Winnipeg’s Emergency Social Services team was deployed to assist displaced residents find temporary accommodations.
Most of the damage was contained to the room where the fire started. The preliminary investigation suggests the fire was accidental, caused by the improper disposal of smoking materials.
Residents are reminded to follow these safety tips:
- Smoking material should always be extinguished in a proper ashtray or deep metal container.
- Before you throw away butts and ashes, make sure they are out. Dousing in water or sand is the best way to do that.
- Butts should never be thrown from balconies, decks, 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.