Grass fire damages multiple commercial businesses in Winnipeg's Transcona area
CBC
Multiple commercial buildings have suffered significant damage after a large, fast-moving grass fire swept through an industrial area in North Transcona on Monday afternoon.
Fire crews in Winnipeg and the Rural Municipality of Springfield responded to the fire on Gunn Road around 2 p.m. and evacuated all occupied businesses in the area as a precautionary measure, said Deputy Chief Scott Wilkinson with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
"Due to wind conditions, it took crews a substantial amount of time to get the fire under control," Wilkinson said during a news conference in the area.
The cause of the grass fire remains unknown at this time, including how many businesses sustained damage. Crews are investigating.
The fire was contained around 5 p.m. and does not pose a further risk to other commercial buildings or residential areas, according to the city.
Winnipeg police cruisers will remain at the site to block off the area on Gunn Road from Day to Redonda streets until fire crews finish extinguishing the fire, Wilkinson said.
Two firefighters were assessed by paramedics but did not need to go to hospital, according to a city news release issued later Monday evening.
No other injuries were reported.
"There was a lot of explosions going on," Wilkinson said.
"Crews did a great job despite wind and heat conditions to [keep] it from going beyond Gunn Road into the [Rural Municipality] of Springfield and north, and preventing it from extending further than it already has."
More than 30 fire response vehicles attended the scene throughout the day, the city release said.
A large cloud of thick smoke could be seen billowing from the area after 3 p.m.
Carol Barry, who works at Sandvik Mining close to where the fire started, said staff at the manufacturer were sent home following concerns about whether the fire was a result of a "chemical issue."
Barry said she noticed the black smoke as she was working from her desk, paired with hearing a loud bang and smaller sounds she described as "popping" coming from the fire.
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