Probe continues as expert weighs in on Transcona house blast

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This article was published 10/07/2024 (447 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police and fire officials continue to investigate why a house in Transcona suddenly blew up last month, but a local explosives expert thinks he knows what sparked it.

Tristen Rakowski, co-owner of Rakowski Cartage and Wrecking, said he believes some type of natural gas leak — not from the main line, but inside the house itself — will turn out to be responsible. The blast levelled the home on Camrose Bay and damaged 22 others nearby, including at least one that will have to be demolished.

“In Winnipeg, 90 per cent of houses have gas. It is a common thing for part of your heating system, so I would be looking at that,” Rakowski said on Wednesday.

“It could even be from the stove, if it was a gas stove. It would have to be somewhere inside the house. But, if this happened after a short period, it would not just be a small pinhole in a pipe, it would be larger.

“I would certainly doubt this was caused by any type of explosives.”

No one was injured. Residents weren’t home when it suddenly blew up on June 26 at about 11:20 a.m.

The police service’s major crimes unit has been leading the investigation, which includes the bomb unit and forensic officers, as well as the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.

Both Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen and WFPS spokeswoman Erin Madden said the explosion is still under investigation.

“It could take months,” said Michalyshen.

Rakowski, who has not gone to the site and is not part of the investigation, said he would be surprised if investigators find some type of explosives were involved because the industry is so tightly regulated.

“You would need detonation,” he said. “The material is not easy to get your hands on because it is a federally regulated business.

“The evidence left behind would be immediate. You would see electrical wires. It would be everywhere so the investigation would have ended immediately.”

This week, residents of the street said they are upset no one from the city or province had reached out to help them deal with the aftermath.

Neighbouring residents Sharan Nikkel and Brandi Neves said it has been up to them and other neighbours to clean up the mountain of debris in their yards, on rooves, and on the street.

“Our street should be cleaned of the glass and nails there,” said Nikkel.

“I’m a senior citizen. I’m 70, visually impaired, and not one person from the city or province has come to help. I go out for six to eight hours every day, load up my wheelbarrow, and take it to a garbage bin. Where is the help we need?”

Neves said on Wednesday, only after she posted on social media that no officials from the city or province — including Mayor Scott Gillingham, Premier Wab Kinew, Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt, or Transcona MLA Nello Altomare — had been in touch with residents, that she received a phone call from Gillingham.

“I appreciated the opportunity to speak with Brandi,” said Gillingham in a statement. “She flagged a few areas where the city could provide assistance and I’m following up with departments to get some action on this.”

A provincial spokesman said Altomare would also reach out to the residents.

“We’ve done 90 per cent of the work without help,” said Neves.

“We need the street cleaned, new garbage bins. They are melted so why do we have to pay to replace them? We’ve had no garbage collection for three weeks now. We also need a police presence or drive-bys to stop people from rummaging there.

“Hopefully, the mayor will act on this.”

Nikkel said she was in her basement when suddenly, “I just felt this shake with a terrible bang.”

“I thought a wall upstairs had fallen down, but when I ran upstairs it was okay. But then I looked out the back door and it was like it was snowing. Why was it snowing? Then I saw paper and boards landing on the garage.”

Nikkel walked outside and realized the house a few doors down was no longer there. Two to three minutes after the initial explosion, there was second one.

“It was like Old Faithful but it was just fire going up. It was huge. That’s what caught all the debris on fire and it was falling down on the roofs of houses, setting them on fire, as well as a garage and car.

“At one point, there were four houses on fire and no fire trucks. I was hysterical.”

A family that lives next door to the house that exploded is still looking for a house.

Mary-Ann Lariviere, her husband, three children and 13-year-old black Labrador, Rocky, have been scouring Winnipeg for a rental home big enough for their family after theirs was rendered unlivable.

Insurance has paid for hotel accommodations, but the family hasn’t had a restful stay.

“I’ve been up until one in the morning looking for a house every night,” said a frustrated Lariviere. “It’s tough because there are five of us and a dog.

“This is not a vacation in a hotel. I’m not enjoying this at all. It’s very stressful.”

Lariviere, who lives on one side of the bungalow, as well as another family on the other side, are both staying in the same hotel. Other homes and garages in the vicinity were also damaged, some with blown-out windows, but those residents didn’t have to leave.

“I took my two week holiday now because I need to find a house,” said Lariviere.

“I’ve missed work, my husband has missed work. My sons have missed work, too. It’s just not fair because it’s not our fault.”

They don’t know what needs to be done to their house to make it liveable again.

“The side closest to the other house, they don’t know yet if there is structural damage there or not,” Lariviere said.

“We’re also waiting for an engineer to test the foundation.”

The contents of her living room, kitchen and dining room were destroyed because those were the rooms closest to the explosion.

“I have no furniture left there. It is a writeoff,” she said. “Thank God, we have insurance.”

On Wednesday, the family was out looking for a home.

“A campground is looking good right now,” she joked.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca