Building on Main Street in Winnipeg destroyed by fire, forces road closure

A building on Main Street in Winnipeg has been severely damaged by a fire that forced closure of the road to traffic.

On Saturday morning, fire crews went to a two-storey commercial and residential, mixed-use building in the 800 block of Main Street after receiving multiple reports about a fire.

When crews arrived on the scene, they were confronted with heavy smoke and flames coming from the building.

The occupants of the building had self-evacuated and one person was taken to the hospital in stable condition after being assessed by paramedics.

Due to the condition of the building and the risk of collapse, crews fought the fire from the outside using handlines and arial ladder trucks to apply water to the blaze.

Firefighting operations are ongoing and crews are monitoring conditions in the neighbouring buildings, including the adjacent high-rise apartment block.

The potential for high-life hazards when dealing with a high-rise led to a second alarm being called and more crews arrived on the scene.

Due to the drifting smoke, crews began the process of evacuating the high-rise in an orderly manner as a precaution.

Winnipeg Transit has deployed buses to the scene to shelter evacuees and the City of Winnipeg’s Emergency Social Services team will be assisting displaced residents in finding temporary accommodations..

As of 10 a.m. Main Street is still closed for all traffic between Higgins Avenue and Dufferin Avenue, Residents are asked to avoid the area, and motorists are advised to take alternate routes to get to their destinations.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage estimates are not available; however, the building will be a complete loss.

0:23 Winnipeg fire crews respond to early morning blaze

&© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.