City sets record for fires in vacant buildings By: Chris Kitching Posted: 6:09 PM CDT Thursday, Sep. 14, 2023

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This article was published 14/09/2023 (763 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hours after the fire-ravaged Windsor Hotel was reduced to rubble Wednesday, firefighters were forced to battle blazes in two more vacant buildings in Winnipeg — a troubling trend that has sparked concerns about safety and costs.

By the end of August, the city had recorded 104 fires in vacant buildings — already a new annual record.

“We have too many vacant buildings in the city,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. “We want to see these properties be developed into housing.”

The city has started charging vacant property owners for firefighting costs. It had issued 27 bills — totalling more than $750,000 — as of Aug. 31. The highest bill was almost $104,000.

The Windsor Hotel, at 187 Garry St., was vacant when it went up in flames. It has been knocked down by a contractor, following an emergency demolition order.

The blaze has renewed the focus on empty buildings and safety hazards, or problems associated with them.

According to city estimates, there are 600 to 700 vacant buildings in Winnipeg, which is experiencing a shortage of housing.

“The No. 1 (problem) is that people break into them,” said public safety activist Sel Burrows. “Once people are in, that’s where drug dealing takes place. They become dangerous houses because nobody is sure who is in there. The other thing we all know is (people) set fires.”

“Once people are in, that’s where drug dealing takes place. They become dangerous houses because nobody is sure who is in there. The other thing we all know is (people) set fires.”–Sel Burrows

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews battled blazes in two vacant houses Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The first was in the 400 block of Alexander Avenue, while the second was in the 100 block of Parr Street, the city said.

In 2022, the WFPS reported a then-record 84 vacant building fires. The 2021 total was 64.

For emergency services and some city departments, empty properties can put a strain on resources. Fires can threaten the safety of emergency personnel, anyone who may be inside or neighbours.

Some vacant houses have had multiple fires this year.

“It’s going to put a strain on the fire paramedic service because they’re going back to these locations,” said Coun. Evan Duncan, chairman of the community services committee.

On a stretch of Elgin Avenue, just east of Isabel Street, two burned-out vacant houses stand next to each other. Neighbours want them demolished.

They fear it’s only a matter of time before one or both houses go up in flames again.

“We don’t have problems in winter. It’s just when after the snow melts, it starts,” resident Sarah Cabanting said of the fire activity. “It is concerning because we are so close.”

It’s a familiar story in inner-city neighbourhoods, such as Centennial, which have a glut of vacant properties.

Some remain empty for years, even in fire-damaged states.

“They can’t sit there for six months to a year because good people will move away,” said Burrows.

On Elgin, crews have been called to at least nine blazes in the two neighbouring vacant houses since April 2019, according to news releases and previous media coverage.

One was on fire four times between January and August.

Neighbours said break-ins are common at the properties, which are located less than a kilometre from city hall. Both homes were boarded up Thursday.

In April, the WFPS was called four times in less than two weeks to blazes in a Ross Avenue home. The property was fast-tracked for demolition because the structure wasn’t safe.

In May, the city announced new measures, including expedited demolition permits and increased enforcement, to reduce the number of empty buildings and prevent break-ins, fires or other problems including squatting.

Vacant buildings are supposed to be inspected at least once per year to ensure they comply with a city bylaw. Owners are required to remediate any violations. Demolition timelines vary from case to case.

Gillingham said it’s too early to determine how effective the new measures have been.

The mayor said he shares Winnipeggers’ concerns about empty buildings or piles of debris which increase neighbourhood blight.

“It can be demoralizing,” he said. “It gives a negative view of some communities.”

“It can be demoralizing… It gives a negative view of some communities.”–Mayor Scott Gillingham

The city has a problem properties committee to help track and address vacant buildings. Efforts also occur at the grassroots level.

Burrows organizes a city-wide group of volunteers that reports vacant houses or related issues to 311.

The group believes Winnipeg has up to 2,000 vacant housing units, given the number of empty apartment blocks or multiplexes. Most are in the inner-city.

The blight risks eroding core-area residents’ trust in the city, said Burrows.

“They feel nobody gives a damn about them,” he said.

Burrows said some buildings are sitting vacant for far too long, while some that are beyond repair aren’t being demolished swiftly.

He believes there is room for the city to tighten its enforcement of existing rules.

Burrows recommended a public awareness campaign that encourages Winnipeggers to report trespassers.

Additional eyes could help minimize fires or crime, or make people feel safer in their neighbourhoods, he said.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca