Vacant Winnipeg home gutted by overnight fire, emergency demolition ordered – Winnipeg

An emergency demolition order has been issued for a vacant Winnipeg home gutted by fire early Sunday morning.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said it was called to the property in the 200 block of Austin Street North, east of Main Street in Point Douglas, around 6:20 a.m.

Crews were forced to take a defensive approach, as entering the home was unsafe. Firefighters also had to contend with frigid temperatures that rendered the ground in the area ice-covered and slippery.

The fire service said temperatures were low enough that crews had to rotate off the fire line for breaks from the cold.

Firefighters said no injuries were reported, and they were able to prevent the fire from spreading, but the building would have to be demolished.

“The building has sustained significant smoke, fire and water damage,” the fire service said in a media release. “Due to structural concerns and to ensure all hot spots are extinguished, WFPS is arranging an emergency demolition.”

The fire service said crews had been called to a previous fire at the same house last March.

Neighbours have been warned to use caution in the area, as water used to fight the fire has since frozen and created slippery conditions.

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