Winnipeg firefighters respond to 3 fires in 12-hour period, including 2 in vacant homes

A community advocate and the Winnipeg firefighters' union say something needs to be done about unoccupied homes after firefighters were called to three fires in a 12-hour period on the weekend, two of which were in vacant houses.

There have been six fires in vacant buildings this month alone, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service says. In the past week, fire crews have dealt with fires in four vacant buildings, including at least two that had previously burned.

"It's disgusting this is happening," saidSel Burrows,co-ordinator of Point Powerline, a crime prevention and community development organization in Point Douglas.

Crews responded to three fires between just before 9 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday, the City of Winnipeg said in a Sunday news release.

The first was in a vacant home on Stella Avenue near Powers Street in the North End.

Firefighters were called to the fire just before 9 p.m. Saturday andhad to attack the flames from the outside, because it wasn't safe to enter the house.

The house must be demolished because the fire made it structurally unsound, the city said.

Firefighters were called about the second fire, on Grove Street between Euclid Avenue and Prince Edward Streetin Point Douglas,just before 2 a.m. Sunday.

Heavy smoke and flames were coming from the vacant building when firefighters arrived. They got the fire under control about half an hour after they arrived.

Around 7:45 a.m.,firefighters were called to a storey-and-a-halfhome on Victor Street nearEllice Avenuein the West End.

Heavy black smoke was coming from the house but crews could fight the fire from inside, and got it under control in 20 minutes.

Loss of housing: community advocate

Burrows saidsome owners of vacant buildingsaren't forced to board the windows and doors up to prevent people from squatting and lighting fires to stay warm.

Fixing up vacant homes to use for rental housing is far more cost-effective than rebuilding a home after it's been destroyed by fire, Burrows said.

"You know, it's kind of disgusting from my point of view. Everybody's pushing the government to put more money into social housing, which I totally support. Meanwhile, we're losing the equivalent of social housing," he said.

"Economically, if we want to get decent housing for the lower income levels we need to get these houses back, being fixed up and rented out."

Alternatives must be created for people experiencing homelessness who take refuge in vacant homes, and people need to be gottenout of those spaces quickly, before someone dies, he said.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Assistant Chief Scott Wilkinsonsays it's difficult to discern any patterns with theblazes in vacant buildings because the damage is so significant.

They often develop into large fires "because of the delays in reporting, as no one's there," he told CBC News. "There's much higher level of damage to the structures."

Regardless of the cause, Wilkinson says members of the service share the public's concerns about these fires.

"They pose a greater risk to neighbouring buildings and also to our staff, which is our primary concern," he said.

"Our focus is to make sure that these buildings are hopefully not vacant and [are] properly utilized, andif they aren't going to be ... they need to be fully and properly secured and monitored."

Bylaw needs teeth: union president

United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg president Tom Bilous says the city's vacant building bylaw needs more teeth to prevent more from going up in flames.

"The buildings that have been boarded up for a long time and are never going to be fixed up, they're just eyesores. I feel for the taxpayers that are living around these places, and they're just waiting for when, not if, it's going to go up in flames," Bilous said.

"The minute after they've been deemed that they are structurally unsound or beyond repair, bring in the wrecking ball and tear them down. They should not be sitting there as a tinderbox waiting."

City council will consider Thursday whether to make owners of vacant buildings pay the costs when there's a fire. The motion has already been approved by theproperty and development committeeand the executive policy committee.

There are 683 vacant buildings registered in Winnipeg, a city report says, with39 or 40 fires in vacant buildings each year from 2019 to 2021.

The costs of responding to those fires ranged from nearly $426,000 to more than $500,000.

Bilousthinks charging the building owners for fighting fires isa good idea, but wonders if it's too reactive, rather than proactive.

"It may force people to take steps and clean up their lots orget the places fixed up, but from our standpoint, the issue is the houses that are unsalvageable," he said.