Police investigate after three sent to hospital in North End blaze

Three people were sent to hospital and a criminal investigation is underway after a historical home in the St. John’s neighbourhood was severely damaged by fire.

Fire crews were called to the blaze at 344 St. Johns Ave. at 10:16 p.m. on Thursday, the city said Friday.

Michael Block, who lives across the street, told the Free Press his wife called 911 after he and his son realized the house was ablaze.

“We heard some yelling from inside the house and then my son looked out the window and he could see fire coming out of the second-storey window,” Block said. “We went out (and) there was a gentleman who had walked out of the house, who was underneath that tree right there … and his pants were still on fire.”

He said he stayed with the man, who was “in shock,” until paramedics arrived.

The man was one of three people who was taken to hospital, but Block said five to 10 people were evacuated from the home.

Block said he witnessed people looking inside the home for someone, and realized they were searching for the man who was outside. He advised them that the man had made it out.

“It seemed to move very quickly,” he said about the fire, noting each time people opened the door, he saw the flames inside.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews said heavy smoke and flames were coming from the home upon their arrival so they began a defensive attack. They were able to get inside the house once conditions allowed and declared the blaze under control by 11 p.m.

The occupants escaped before crews arrived. Paramedics treated three people at the scene and two were taken to hospital in unstable condition while the third was in critical condition.

Block said he’s sad to see another historical home damaged by fire.

“It makes me upset,” he said. “I’m very proud to live in the North End, so any time we see one of these old historic homes, that’s over 100 years old, it’s bad for the neighbourhood.”

He said he doesn’t know how many people lived in the home.

He said community residents have to make sure their properties don’t fall into a state of disrepair or become over-occupied.

“Homeowners, tenants and landlords, they all need to be held accountable for bad actions,” Block said.

He doesn’t know what is behind Thursday’s blaze, but said far too often, homes in the area are left in a state of disrepair or mismanaged, which can have negative consequences.

City records show the house was constructed in 1905. Now, its future is uncertain.

Nestor de Quiroz, whose uncle owns the home, said because his uncle is older and visually impaired, he had a close friend watching the house. He said his uncle did not know any of the tenants.

“My uncle is no longer capable of managing it,” he said.

De Quiroz said the Winnipeg Police Service has started a criminal investigation into the fire.

He said his uncle will talk to the person who was managing the house to find out why so many people were present at the time of the fire.

Several plainclothes police officers were seen talking to neighbours Friday. WFPS investigators were rummaging through the debris to collect evidence.

Oleg Levytskyy prepared to go to work behind the police tape.

He works with a tree service that also does “board-ups” at Winnipeg homes, especially in the North End.

He said the work is constant and often the result of fires.

“Sometimes it’s every day,” he said, adding that by keeping people out of houses damaged by fire or just unsecured, he’s preventing further damage.

“It’s very important,” he said.

The fire is one of several this year that have resulted in injury or a fatality. Earlier this week, a WFPS spokesperson couldn’t provide the number of fire fatalities in Winnipeg this year, saying the total is being calculated by the service in partnership with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

On Monday, a woman died following what officials called an accidental fire on Fleet Avenue in the Rockwood neighbourhood.

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca