Body found at scene of Ellington Street fire

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This article was published 04/08/2023 (842 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The smell of smoke and blackened exterior walls mark a home in a Tyndall Park neighbourhood, where a body was found during a fire Thursday night.

City crews were sent to the structure on the first 100 block of Ellington Street at around 11:45 p.m. Firefighters attacking the blaze from inside found a man’s body, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said in a news release Friday.

WFPS did not provide details regarding the man’s cause of death or say whether it was related to the fire.

The blaze was declared under control at about 12:35 a.m. Friday. The cause was under investigation, WFPS said.

The City of Winnipeg’s emergency social services team was sent to the scene to help displaced residents.

“It was just really surreal. We felt like we were in a dream, because it was just kind of chaotic,” said a woman who lives next door to the burned residence.

The neighbour, who did not provide a name, pointed toward a basement window which showed signs of fire damage. “You can still smell the smoke.”

The neighbour said she briefly left her house around the same time the fire was reported. When she returned shortly after, the street was closed to traffic, with fire crews, paramedics and police on scene.

She did not see any flames, but the area around the home was filled with smoke, the woman said.

The burned residence was home to a multi-generational family, she said.

Evidence of firefighting efforts remained on the street Friday, with a large hose still attached to a nearby hydrant.

A city contractor was parked outside the house to secure the property.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca