Seed processing plant a total loss after Monday inferno
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/11/2018 (2557 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The oilseed processing plant that burned to the ground Monday afternoon in an industrial park in St. Boniface has been declared a total loss.
Fire crews remained on scene Tuesday morning, extinguishing hot spots. Dawson Road North remained closed to traffic.
Crews worked through the night Monday.
“We’re really just drowning it out from the exterior. We’ll probably be pouring water on it all night,” Russ Drohomereski, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service deputy chief, said late Monday.
“We’ll probably have all hands on deck throughout the night.”
Thick, black smoke blanketed the sky throughout the area Monday, although wind worked in firefighters’ favour, pushing the smoke well up into the air before it dissipated.
It was the third fire in the past 18 months at the Friendly Family Farms Ltd. processing plant located at 500 Dawson Rd. N, though the previous blazes were minor by comparison.
WFPS got the 911 call at 1:02 p.m. and arrived on the scene moments later, but the building was engulfed and officials quickly determined the possibility of structural collapse made it unsafe for firefighters to enter.
Three plant employees who were present when the fire broke out were assessed by paramedics. One was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
The fire department drone, which was introduced in August, was deployed Monday, helping give the incident commander an aerial view of the site. The drone has been deployed a handful of times in the past few months, according to the department.
“Once again, the use of the WFPS unmanned aerial vehicle was an invaluable tool in fighting a fire, helping to direct crews to the exact locations of heavy flames and hot spots,” a City of Winnipeg press release said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and it no dollar estimate of the loss was released.