House burned 'within minutes,' witness says, as fire tears through 3 Langside Street homes
'The smoke was like a fog, and then it turned into black billowy smoke within minutes': witness
A fire that tore through three homes on Langside Street, between Portage and Ellice avenues in central Winnipeg, spread through one of the houses within a matter of minutes on Tuesday afternoon, according to a witness.
Fire crews called to the blaze in the 400 block of Langside Street just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday found three houses with smoke and fire coming from them, the city said in a news release.
The fire was large and complex, prompting 911 dispatchers to send additional resources, the city said.
Witness Joel Johnston said he was playing at a nearby park with his nephew when they noticed the smoke from the fire.
He immediately called the fire department and started knocking on doors along Langside to warn others, he said.
"It was pretty quick. It was within minutes. The smoke was like a fog, and then it turned into black billowy smoke within minutes," said Johnston.
"The flames went from the back to the front of the house within minutes."
WATCH | Crews fight fire on Langside Street:
Johnston told CBC News on Tuesday he saw at least two people inside the building, and saw one climbing out of a window covered in soot.
Residents of all three homes had evacuated before crews arrived, the city said. No injuries were reported and emergency social services staff provided support to people displaced by the fire.
A cat was also found at the scene and city animal services officials responded, the city said.
No damage estimate is available, and the fire is still under investigation, the city said.
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With files from Gary Solilak