Firefighters battle five blazes overnight

Firefighters were battling the eighth blaze in less than a year at the former Vulcan Iron Works site early Saturday morning.

The fire, which broke out about 12:50 a.m., was one of five structure fires Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews responded to overnight.

No injuries were reported in any of them and all are under investigation to find out how they started.

WFPS said when crews responded to the Vulcan Iron Works fire, on Sutherland Avenue between Maple Street North and Argyle Street North, the remains of the structure were already engulfed in heavy flames and smoke.

Firefighters launched a defensive attack, spraying water on the fire from an aerial ladder truck and using hand lines.

It took about five hours for the fire to be declared out at 6:11 a.m.

The blaze comes just days after the property’s owner, Sheldon Blank, said he has applied to the city for a demolition permit and was agreeing to implement measures to mitigate possible asbestos exposure.

Area residents have said for months that the site is both a safety hazard and eyesore and were hoping it was cleaned up soon.

Meanwhile, a Winnipeg police officer patrolling in the area spotted a fire at a single-storey commercial warehouse and office building in the 1400 block of Inkster Boulevard at 1:42 a.m.

Fire crews found flames and smoke coming out of the building when they arrived, but were able to get it under control by 2:04 a.m.

No damage estimate is available.

Several passenger vehicles and a semi-trailer unit were found engulfed in flames outside a commercial structure in the 500 block of Dufferin Avenue at 3:07 a.m.

Fire crews, who found electrical wires had fallen on the building and were arching when they arrived, battled the blaze and stopped it from spreading to the building.

The fire was declared under control at 4:08 a.m. The vehicles were declared destroyed while the building sustained minor heat damage.

No damage estimates are available.

Firefighters responded to a fire in a vacant house in the 1300 block of Manitoba Avenue at 4:10 a.m.

When crews arrived, heavy smoke was coming from the one-and-a-half storey structure, but firefighters were able to enter and battle the blaze from inside.

The fire was declared under control at 4:42 a.m. and no damage estimate is available.

The final fire of the five was in a garage in the 700 block of Flora Avenue at 5:42 a.m.

The garage was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. It was declared under control at 5:57 a.m.

No damage estimate is available. Firefighters noted the neighbouring house is vacant and has suffered extensive damage from earlier fires.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca