Fires 'can happen at any time,' says Winnipeg safety educator

Fires that tore through multiple homes in Winnipeg over the weekend could happen anywhere and at any time, warns a fire safety educator.

Capt. Marc Proulx, the public education co-ordinator with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, says everyone should be prepared for a fire, as well as take measures to prevent one from starting.

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"Whether it's a mechanical problem or man-made, it can happen at any time," he said in an interview Monday.

"The statistics bear it out time and time again: at least two or three times in your lifetime, most people have gone through some level of fire in their life, at home or at work. It can be minor, but it can also be major like this example."

One blaze engulfed a condo complex under construction at the corner of Maryland Street and Westminster Avenue, in the city's Wolseley neighbourhood, around 3:45 a.m. Saturday.

It spread to two nearby homes, leaving six people homeless two sisters and a family of four.

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Two hours later, and just a few blocks away, another fire consumed a garage on Chestnut Street. That one has been determined to be arson.

Then on Sunday afternoon in the city's St. James area, about a 15-minute drive from the Wolseley area, two fires were lit inside seniors complex under construction on Sinawik Bay.

Police said those ones were snuffed out early and didn't cause much damage. Two people were seen running from there and one was arrested.

A 16-year-old boy is charged with break and enter, arson, mischief and the possession of incendiary material.

Proulx said a couple of things can make a difference between surviving a fire and not making it, such as installing smoke alarms and working out a fire escape plan.

"Not just having a practice plan where in your mind's eye, you know how to get out. It's to actually draw it down and practise it, and this is so important for parents," he said.

Proulx said fire and police officials have been going into schools for years and speaking to students about arson prevention.

There are numerous things that home and business owners can do to prevent arson fires, he added.

"It's the simple things. Keeping opportunities away from happening, like bulk materials, like scraps of trees, paper, wood, making sure your waste is not put out until the day of pickup," he said.

Property owners can also install security systems that include motion-sensor lights, Proulx said.

"Most arson fires are set in the dark,where they can't be seen," he said. "So if you take away that opportunity, it's not going to happen."