Winnipeg smashes annual record for vacant building fires with more than 3 months to go

A quaint two-story home in Winnipeg's Luxton neighbourhood was once home to the Polson family.

Built in 1894, the Queen Anne Revival style house was first home to Alexander Polson, one of the original Selkirk settlers, and his wife and children.

It's housed other families over the decades, but now, more than a century later, the home sits vacant, with thin wooden boards covering the front door and ornately trimmed windows.

As the number of vacant building fires so far this year reaches a new high, a neighbour fears the historic home at 94 Cathedral Ave. will soon become another one of the city's vacant buildings to burn to the ground.

"It sits empty, neglected and a magnet for all kinds of things, unfortunately," said Brent Johnson, who has lived in the area resident for nine years.

Johnson said the Polson House has been vacant for about five years. It was first boarded up two to three years ago, but it's been breached a number of times, and the backyard has been the site of drug use.

He said the potential for a fire to catch like another nearby home has recently is concerning.

"It would be a shame to lose the historic home that's there. We've seen it happen just a few doors over at the end of the block, around the corner vacant homes being lost to fire," said Johnson, who's also a board member of the Luxton Residents Association.

Winnipeg fire crews this year have responded to a record-breaking 104 fires in vacant buildings as of Wednesday, up from 84 last year and 64 in 2021, according to the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.

Deputy fire chief Scott Wilkinson said a number of factors, including substance use, homelessness, issues securing the buildings and the growing number of vacant structures in Winnipeg, could account for the increase.

"It's extremely serious, it's been ongoing for years," Wilkinson said.

Billed firefighting costs total $750K

On Wednesday, the Windsor Hotel was one of the city's more than 600 vacant buildings to catch fire, proving to be a prime example of how harmful such fires can be, said Wilkinson.

"The Windsor is a great example of the smoke conditions and the toxicity that can affect people," he said.

"It's dangerous for our staff and crews, both police, fire paramedics on the street."

The city has taken steps to try to reduce the number of fires, like changing its standards for boarding up buildings and charging owners for firefighting costs at vacant properties, Wilkinson said.

As of the end of August, 27 bills have been issued to property owners for firefighting costs. The bills add up to about$750,000, with the highest one totalling nearly $104,000.

But Wilkinson said it's too soon to tell whether those changes are making an impact.

"We ultimately have to get the numbers of vacant buildings down where we have to get them reinvested in housing or they need to be demolished," he said.

Whichever party gets elected this October will need to work with the city and community organizations to tackle Winnipeg's housing issues, he added.

In the meantime, 94 Cathedral Ave. is up for sale, and Johnson hopes the building will one day be a place people can call home again.

"It's a place that family could be enjoying," he said.

"And right now it just is sitting and rotting away."

Record-breaking year for vacant building fires in Winnipeg

1 year ago

Duration 2:17

It's been a record-breaking year for fires in vacant buildings in Winnipeg. They've not only become eyesores in neighbourhoods but pose major risks to communities. Many residents are frustrated more isn't being done to fix the problem.