No injuries in fire at vacant Hargrave Street apartment building

No one was injured in a blaze that started in a vacant apartment building in downtown Winnipeg on Monday evening, but it may be hours before people living nearby can return to their homes.

Firefighters were called to the four-storey apartment block on Hargrave Street at 6:42 p.m. Monday, as flames and large plumes of black smoke shot up into the sky.

Deputy fire chief Joe Seewald said when crews arrived, they went into defensive mode right away because the building was fully engulfed.

"It didn't take long for the entire structure to burn," he told reporters.

Gregory Beller, who lives a few buildings away, said he was in his room when he first noticed the fire.

"I just started smelling smoke and you don't really think anything of it — there's a lot of fire alarms — but then it just kept getting more and more and I looked out the window and the whole place was up in flames," he said.

A total of 13 fire trucks and about 40 to 45 personnel were involved in fighting the blaze.

Crews put out the flames by around 7:30 p.m., but smoke continues to be visible.

The building was vacant at the time and no injuries were reported, according to the city.

Seewald said tenants of the building next door won't be allowed back into their suites until the walls of the fire-damaged building have been pushed in.

"There's always a concern for collapse, especially since there's nothing holding the walls up, so a good strong wind can potentially cause some damage," he said.

Steve Dumas and Jennifer McTavish, who live next door, said they had just finished dinner and were about to watch the Jets game when they spotted the fire.

They hope the walls of the damaged building don't collapse onto their building. As well, they're concerned about damage to their suite.

"I don't know how much water damage there is there now because the windows above us are open," Dumas said.

Manitoba Hydro says power has been shut off for approximately 450 customers in the area due to safety concerns related to the fire.

The power won't be restored until after the building is demolished, likely sometime after midnight, according to the utility.

Cause of fire under investigation

Seewald said it's too early to say if the fire had been deliberately set.

A fire investigator arrived at the scene late Monday, trying to determine a cause.

Both Dumas and Beller said they believe the fire was deliberately started.

"There's people going in there all the time; even yesterday or even about an hour before, you can hear people walking around in there," said Dumas.

Beller said the building had been undergoing demolition until November. When work crews took down the front wall last year, he said he noticed makeshift beds inside the structure.