When the Building Next Door Is on Fire

There is a particular instinct that takes hold in a neighbourhood when fire arrives—not the instinct to flee, but the instinct to protect. In Winnipeg's St. Boniface neighbourhood early Tuesday morning, that instinct took the form of garden hoses, gripped by neighbours who woke to the sight of flames and did what they could while they waited for help to arrive.

The fire began just before 5 a.m. at a three-storey, six-unit multiplex under construction on Archibald Street . The roof had just been installed on Friday. By the time firefighters arrived, the building was engulfed. Flames reached as high as 15 metres above the rooftop at times .

Terry Edmunds, who lives two houses away, was among those who woke to the glow. "I woke up, came outside, and the yard was glowing and the building was fully engulfed," he said. He woke his family, knocked on neighbours' doors, and then "got garden hoses" . With embers the size of his hand landing in yards and on decks, he and others sprayed their roofs and property, trying to save their own homes from catching. The heat was so intense it vaporized the water soon after it left the hose. "It was melting our composite deck, the patio furniture, the cushions," he said. "It was very hot" .

Gerry Lessard, who has lived next door for 37 years, surveyed the damage to his yard. His gazebo was blackened and partially melted. His woodshed was a total loss. His deck was burned. "All the furniture is going to be gone," he said. He also lost 40-year-old cedar trees. "The heat was just enormous back here. It was quite the event" .

Firefighters faced their own obstacles. A train held up the arrival of some crews, and when they arrived, they found that the nearest fire hydrant could not provide sufficient water flow. Another nearby hydrant was leaking from its base and unusable, forcing crews to set up additional water sources . Despite these challenges, they managed to control the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjacent homes.

The multiplex is a total loss. The cause of the fire has not been determined. Archibald Street remained closed to traffic between Gareau Street and Elizabeth Road as crews monitored hot spots . For the neighbours who spent the early morning hours with hoses in hand, the damage to their own properties is significant—but their homes, at least, are still standing.

AI Image Disclaimer: The visual content accompanying this report was generated by artificial intelligence for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual fire or individuals involved.

Sources: CBC News, Radio-Canada, Yahoo News Canada