One dead, two hurt in College Avenue fire

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/01/2024 (690 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hours after a home in the William Whyte neighbourhood caught fire early Tuesday, first responders and city police remained on scene, loading a body into a waiting hearse.

The blaze, which began at 381 College Ave. at about 1 a.m., killed one person and injured two others seriously, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said in a release.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames billowing from the 2 1/2-storey, multi-family residence. Crews were able to enter the building and battle the blaze from inside, declaring it extinguished just after 2 a.m., the release said.

A search of the building revealed one person dead inside. All other residents had left the building before fire crews arrived. Two were taken to hospital in unstable condition, WFPS said.

A Winnipeg Transit bus was sent to the scene to provide shelter for evacuees. The City of Winnipeg’s emergency social services team helped the displaced residents find temporary accommodation.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. No damage estimate is available.

Neighbours on College Avenue watched from afar as Winnipeg Police Service forensic investigators and a plain-clothes detective entered and exited the home with cameras in hand at about 10:30 a.m.

A small number of first responders also remained on scene, helping to secure the covered body on a stretcher in the front yard and zip it into a bag before wheeling it over to the roadway and loading it into a white hearse.

One neighbour, who was clearing snow from the sidewalk with her young son, ushered the child inside their home shortly before the body was moved.

The woman, who did not provide her name, said she heard people fighting inside the house the previous evening and police were called to the property.

Another neighbour, who also reported hearing a commotion, said she watched officers arrest a woman at the home hours before the fire broke out.

The WPS confirmed officers were called to the building around 5:30 p.m. Monday for reports of a “domestic-related incident.”

Police could not confirm whether anybody from the home was arrested or charged as a result, nor would they say whether the fire is subject to a criminal investigation.

“Anytime there is a fatality, the WPS would be involved in the investigation as a cause of death would not be immediately known,” WFPS spokesperson Erin Madden said by email.

“It’s important to note that the WFPS investigates fires for their origin and cause. A Winnipeg Police Service investigation focuses on whether a crime occurred and if so, collecting relevant evidence. It is not uncommon for the WFPS and WPS to collaborate on investigations.”

Madden said WFPS was called to the home twice in 2023 for medical emergencies.

The WPS does not provide calls for service data on specific addresses.

Tuesday afternoon, scraps of yellow police caution tape and large pools of ice marked where firefighters cordoned off the street and drew water from nearby hydrants just hours before.

An additional police cruiser was parked in the alleyway behind the home, which was similarly cordoned off by caution tape.

A review of tax records show the property is valued at $318,000 and zoned as a residential, single-family home — despite being described as a multi-family residence by WFPS.

The Free Press has requested comment from the registered homeowner, who does not appear to live in Winnipeg.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca