Fire strikes North End high-rise known for crime, drug use

Some residents of a Manitoba Housing high-rise in the North End, which has been plagued by crime and drug use, had to be evacuated Thursday after fire broke out in a fourth-floor suite.

Crews from Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service were called to 145 Powers St., a 12-storey building, at around 11:30 a.m.

The fire was under control by 11:52 a.m. No one was hurt and the incident is under investigation.

Hearing about the blaze upon her return from a volunteer shift, Sharon Markwell, said the entire building smelled like smoke and fire when she got home.

“The first thing I thought about was my pets, of course,” she said.

The fire caused extensive damage to the apartment.

Markwell, who has lived at the block for almost 13 years, said she’s thankful fire crews were able to contain the blaze to the suite. She lives just above where the fire happened. She didn’t have to evacuate.

“I’m so glad they got it contained,” she said. “I’m just beyond grateful that they were able to save the building, because where am I going to go?”

The Free Press recently reported about safety problems at the building that triggered a pause on home care visits from Winnipeg Regional Health Authority staff.

On Thursday, numerous doors inside the building were boarded up.

A WFPS news release reported a fire in a suite on April 28.

“This is the second fire in as many months,” she said.

While Markwell’s suite was mostly unscathed, neighbouring suites were damaged by smoke and water.

Some of the building’s residents got out on their own, while firefighters evacuated others.

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca