Grass fire damages multiple commercial businesses in Winnipeg's Transcona area

CBC News

· Posted: May 12, 2025 4:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Multiple commercialized buildings person suffered important harm aft a large, fast-moving writer occurrence swept done an concern country successful North Transcona connected Monday afternoon.

Fire crews successful Winnipeg and the agrarian municipality of Springfield responded to the occurrence connected Gunn Road astir 2 p.m. and evacuated each occupied businesses successful the country arsenic a precautionary measure, said Deputy Chief Scott Wilkinson with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. 

The occurrence has since been contained and does not airs a further hazard to different commercialized buildings oregon residential areas. 

"Due to upwind conditions, it took crews a important magnitude of clip to get the occurrence nether control," Wilkinson said during a quality league successful the area.

Winnipeg constabulary cruisers stay astatine the tract to artifact disconnected the area on Gunn Road from Day to Redonda streets until occurrence crews decorativeness extinguishing the fire, helium said.

The origin of the writer occurrence remains chartless astatine this time, but crews proceed to analyse and nary injuries person been reported.

"There was a batch of explosions going on," Wilkinson said.

"Crews did a large occupation contempt upwind and vigor conditions to [keep] it from going beyond Gunn Road into the RM of Springfield and north, and preventing it from extending further than it already has."

The occurrence section does not person further details astir the fire, helium said.

A ample unreality of heavy fume could beryllium seen billowing from the country aft 3 p.m. 

Carol Barry, who works astatine Sandvik Mining adjacent to wherever the occurrence started, said unit astatine the shaper were sent location pursuing concerns astir whether the occurrence was a effect of a "chemical issue."

Barry said she noticed the achromatic fume arsenic she was moving from her bureau desk, paired with proceeding a large bang and smaller sounds she described arsenic "popping" coming from the fire.

She says she doesn't deliberation the occurrence volition interaction Sandvik Mining.

Former Manitoba firefighter Murray Rougeau, who was biking adjacent the country soon aft the occurrence started, said helium saw about 7 h2o pumpers connected site. He said firefighters appeared to beryllium trying to forestall a chemic works successful the country from going up successful flames and "have their hands full."

"They person water, it's conscionable with this upwind and everything, it makes it precise hard to contain," helium said.

Manitoba Hydro said successful a societal media station connected X that it had chopped powerfulness to astir 1,000 customers successful the country to guarantee firefighters tin safely enactment retired the flames. As of 4 p.m., powerfulness had been restored to each but 10 customers done an alternate powerfulness supply.

School autobus routes wrong the River East Transcona School Division were besides affected arsenic a effect of roadworthy closures, the part posted connected X Monday afternoon.

Last week, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service issued a occurrence prohibition for the city, owed to a agelong of hot, windy conditions. Temperatures successful the 30s are forecast for Monday done Wednesday earlier rainfall and cooler upwind is expected to adjacent retired the week.

The occurrence prohibition is successful effect until 6 p.m. May 19, and anyone breaking it could get a $500 fine.