Firefighters battle second blaze at Exchange Event Centre in less than a week

A commercial building in the Exchange District burned again Tuesday afternoon, just days after it was damaged in a suspected arson.

Fire crews responded to the Exchange Event Centre, located on the 200 block of Bannatyne Avenue, around 12:35 p.m. Firefighters deployed a drone for “situational awareness,” declaring the fire under control in one hour, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said in a news release later in the afternoon.

No injuries were reported and damage estimates were not available, WFPS said.

Fire crews were called to the building early Friday morning. The Winnipeg Police Service later confirmed that blaze was being investigated as an arson.

WPS Const. Claude Chancy said it was not yet clear whether Tuesday’s fire would be investigated in the same manner.

“In the event WFPS fire investigators deem the fire to be suspicious in nature, the WPS’s Major Crimes Unit would be contacted to follow-up and determine if arson is a factor. It is too early to tell at this point,” Chancy said in an email statement.

WFPS said the investigation is ongoing.

Last week’s blaze gutted a section of the event centre used to host small concerts.

Tyler Rogers, the building’s assistant general manager, previously told the Free Press police were aware of a witness who saw someone smash one of the event centre’s windows and throw something inside before the building went up in flames.

The blaze was the latest in a string of suspicious fires to hit commercial buildings in the city. The previous week, a fire — also suspected to be caused by arson — tore through Johnny G’s restaurant and bar at 177 McDermot Ave.

Commonwealth Kitchen & Bar at 456 Main St. was also torched in July, though owner Nikola Maharajh said it appeared to be a random act.

All three of the Exchange District buildings are designated heritage sites, according to city records.

The fires, and other suspected arsons affecting restaurants elsewhere in the city, have set some people on edge.

Exchange District BIZ board chair Mary Agnes Welch sent an email to fellow board members last week, asking businesses to pass along any information that might aid investigators.

“The very initial thinking is that these are perhaps more targeted fires as opposed to random or started by someone from the encampment or in crisis,” the email read. “It still doesn’t instil any sense of safety in the neighbourhood or confidence among our members, though.”

Data from the latest WPS annual statistical report shows city police were involved in 414 arson investigations last year, but cleared just 10 per cent of those. According to previous reports, the clearance rates for such crimes was just 7.7 per cent in 2023 and 2022.

The numbers do not account for arsons involving disregard for human life, which are classified as violent crimes.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca