A Winnipeg firefighter’s condition has improved after he was taken to hospital in a precarious condition following a fire Tuesday morning in which crews battled the blaze in extremely humid conditions, said the president of the firefighters’ union.
Winnipeg United Fire Fighters president Tom Bilous said he could not comment on the nature of the firefighter’s condition, but said the man was in stable condition and was being held in hospital for observation.
“[It’s] more or less cautious at this point. Yes [I’m] I’m very happy about that, “Belous said Tuesday afternoon.
Two other firefighters were also taken to hospital in a stable condition to be treated for symptoms of heat exhaustion after fighting College Avenue. They have been released since then, Bilous said.
No other injuries were reported, the city said in a press release earlier Tuesday.
The teams arrived at the burning house on College Avenue, between Aikins and Charles streets in northern Winnipeg, just before 8:30 a.m. At that time, the fire in the empty house on one and a half floors was already heavily involved, the statement said. the city.
The fire spread to one floor of a nearby two-and-a-half-story house, which was crowded. The crews were able to evacuate everyone immediately and also evacuated a second neighboring property as a precautionary measure, the statement said.
The vacant house where the fire broke out on Tuesday morning is expected to be a complete loss. The house next door, which was inhabited, had major structural damage to the attic, as well as smoke and water damage everywhere, the city said. (Rudy Gower / CBC)
Bilous said the heat and humidity during the day posed an additional challenge for the crews. At the time of the fire, the recorded temperature at Winnipeg Airport was 19 degrees Celsius, with a relative humidity of about 95 percent, according to Environment Canada. The city also rained later in the morning.
“When you deal with the obvious heat of the fire and then have this ridiculous humidity, the boys fight the elements, don’t they?” Said Bilous.
“It’s raining and whatnot, so you’re sweating … Sometimes it can be too much to bear. And the body starts to shut down, you know.
He said that while crews have things on fire scenes to help them cool down, such as water coolers, cooling chairs, fans and gentlemen, sometimes that’s still not enough.
“We have learned from past injuries and what not and we are getting better. But even with all this progress … injuries will still happen. This is a dangerous job we are doing,” Bilous said.
Firefighters launched a defensive attack on the empty house and an offensive against the two-and-a-half-story house, using an air ladder to help, the city said in a statement.
Water is gathering on the sidewalk in front of a College Avenue house that was badly damaged by a fire Tuesday. (Rudy Gower / CBC)
The crews also used fans to prevent smoke and heat from the house, which was evacuated as a precaution. The technique, called pressure, can reduce the likelihood of a fire spread, said Scott Wilkinson, assistant chief of risk reduction in the Winnipeg Fire Paramedics Community, in an email statement later Tuesday.
Emergency social workers were called in to help 16 people from the occupied house find temporary accommodation. The two-and-a-half house has suffered major structural damage to the attic, as well as smoke and water damage, the statement said.
By early Tuesday afternoon, crews had put out both fires, but were still dealing with the hotspots.
Residents of the other neighboring property were expected to be able to return home after the crews finished their work, the city said.
The vacant house, which has already suffered from previous fires, is expected to be a complete loss.
The cause of the fire is being clarified. There are still no estimates of the damage, the statement said.
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