Wolseley fire rips through multiple homes, leaving melted streetlights, rubble

Six people are recovering after a massive fireripped through one building under construction and multiple homes in Winnipeg's Wolseley neighbourhoodon Saturday morning, leaving behind melted streetlights andbus shelters and piles of rubble.

Fire crews were called around3:45 a.m., as acondominium complex that had been underconstruction on the corner of Maryland Street and Westminster Avenue was burning.

Those flames spread to the neighbouringhouses.

RAW: Fire rips through condo, homes at Westminster and Marlyand intersection

8 years ago

Duration 1:38

Doug Kretchmer filmed a blaze that ripped through a condo and homes in Wolseley Saturday morning at the corner of Westminster Avenue and Maryland Street.

'It was literally raining fire.' Neighbours say the blaze on Maryland and Westminster was like something out of a movie.

8 years ago

Duration 1:57

The fire engulfed a condo complex under construction in the Wolseley neighbourhood, around 3:45 a.m. Saturday.

Four firefighters were burned while searching the homes for victims, and two women from one of the homes next to the condoalso suffered burns.

All six people are reported to be in stable condition.

"[They] should not have gone in, but they did because it was late at night," said Alex Forrest, president of the United Firefighters of Winnipeg.

"They knew that there would be people in the houses."

The firefighters suffered burns totheir faces and necks, Forrest said. Their equipment, which can withstand temperatures up to1,000 C, also wasdamaged.

"It was so hot that the traffic lights on the street were melted.The bus shacks were melted."

"[The]gear had a failure over 1,000 C. So, these firefighters will have to not only deal with the physical injuries, but will deal with the mental injuries," he said.

Man ran into street in underwear

Josh McArthur. wholives on Maryland Street, woke his friend when he saw flames.

"I proceeded to run onto the street in my underwear," he said.

"I burnt my foot on a hot ember and we all just kind of stood here in awe."

He described seeing"showering fire," and "one big wall of flame."

"[There were] embers as big as golf balls," he said.

McArthursaida man who lives in an apartment in the neighbourhood knockedon the door of the home beside the condominium complex to wake the family inside.

Harold Neufeld, who lived a few houses away from where the fire started, also knocked on doors to wake neighbours.

"I'm feeling lucky. We managed to wake everybody and get them out, I and some of the other neighbours. So we are very glad that no one was hurt. That is the main thing," he said.

That the condominium complex was under construction made the fire much worse, Neufeld said.

Cables flew off building

"It just basically exploded and the electrical explosions were pretty dramatic, too. The cables flew off the building and coiled across the street. It felt a little dangerous just to be near," he said.

"The tree alongside the building caught fire as well so the top branches were burning when I saw it."

Meanwhile, a few blocks away and a couple of hours later, a garage fire was reported on Chestnut Street.

That fire also spread, burning a home and a garage next door.

Police say two vehicles were damaged in the Chestnut Streetblaze.

There is no word on the cause of either fire, or whether they're connected. Policesay the Maryland Street fire is suspicious, and both are being investigated by the Winnipeg Police Service's arson unit.

Winnipeg firefighters battle 'big wall of flame' as blaze spreads from condo complex

8 years ago

Duration 1:26

Six people are recovering after a massive fire ripped through one building under construction and multiple homes in Winnipeg's Wolseley neighbourhood on Saturday morning, leaving behind melted streetlights and bus shelters and piles of rubble.