Emergency demolitions have levelled two fire-ravaged vacant homes in less than a week, triggering both relief and new fears among the properties’ neighbours.
Barbara Sutherland lives near a vacant home at 558 Pritchard Ave. that caught fire early Thursday morning and was torn down the same day.
“I’m just glad that it’s gone because there’s not going to be any more activity of people going in there and using it for whatever they were doing. Actually, it is a big relief now,” said Sutherland.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
A vacant home at 558 Pritchard Ave. that caught fire early Thursday morning, is demolished by the city later the same day.
The home was vacant for about two years and, at times, attracted squatters, she said.
“It was just sitting there, it was an eyesore and it was dangerous. Everybody knew in the neighbourhood, one day it was going to go up in flames and, sure enough, that’s what happened,” said Sutherland.
She woke up to see flames at the property around 3 a.m. Thursday and stayed awake due to fears the blaze could spread between lots.
“It was a very scary thing … There (were) ashes coming and hitting (my) window,” said Sutherland.
She said she’s grateful to see a quick demolition but also worries neighbourhood kids will play in the large pile of charred rubble left behind, if it’s not also removed soon.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at the vacant home at 3:02 a.m. Thursday, before an emergency demolition was ordered due to “significant water, smoke and fire damage,” according to a Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service news release.
A previous fire also caused significant damage to the structure on Jan. 1, 2023, the release noted.
Meanwhile, another vacant home at 628 Stella Ave. burned on Friday for at least the third time in two years, sparking its emergency demolition on Saturday.
Neighbour Mike Roberts said he’s glad to see the Stella property removed, noting there are multiple vacant homes at risk of fire in the area.
“I think the fire department’s been here (multiple) times, just this summer. (It’s a) waste of their time,” said Roberts.
Terry Woods, who also owns a home near the site, said he spotted people scavenging through the rubble pile the same day the demolition took place, sparking concerns the debris is creating new safety risks.
“If you drive down this street, there are piles of rubble that have been there for years. So, it’s all well and good to demolish something but to leave it sitting as a pile of rubble (creates new problems),” said Woods.
He said the province should provide the city more “teeth” to take over and tear down vacant and derelict homes. Woods also wants the city to promptly remove rubble, even if that requires covering some of the cost.
“If they can’t recoup the money from the property owner, then I guess our (taxes are) going to have to be raised to accommodate this kind of thing,” said Woods.
On Thursday, jagged pieces of charred wood, bricks and stone covered at least two-thirds of the Stella lot.
There are now about 44 burned buildings in William Whyte alone, according to Darrell Warren, president of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association.
Warren said arson is a common cause of the blazes, so he’d like to see a greater focus on finding and penalizing suspects.
“The biggest problem is they’re not catching these people, so they just go set another fire,” he said.
The City of Winnipeg said it can’t confirm how many emergency demolitions took place this year, information the Free Press has requested since Monday. In an email, spokesman David Driedger said the costs for city-ordered demolitions following a fire are billed to property owners.
He said a city staff report on potential changes to improve the billing process is expected “in the coming months,” with a goal to further decrease vacant building fires.
Property owners are also required to remediate their sites after a demolition, including debris removal, Driedger said.
Coun. Ross Eadie, whose ward includes both the demolished vacant homes, said emergency tear downs are directly linked to safety concerns.
“If a building’s going to fall over and cause problems for the other properties or anything like that, it immediately gets taken down,” said Eadie (Mynarski).
The councillor said he is worried about rubble piles and vacant lots left behind, noting high insurance prices and a growing number of construction material thefts can be obstacles to attracting new development.
Eadie said each demolition can cost tens of thousands of dollars, so some property owners can’t afford to get the work done on their own.
He said a neighbourhood revitalization effort, with funding from the city, province and feds, would help attract new residents and investment. Eadie said such a program could include housing improvement and ownership grants.
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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