5 people in hospital after Winnipeg apartment fire

Two people are in critical condition and three are in unstable condition after an apartment building on Furby Street caught fire Sunday morning.

Winnipeg fire paramedics arrived at a five-storey apartment block on Furby Street, between Cornish and Westminster avenues, Sunday at 3:20 a.m., the city said in a news release.

Crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the building. They started putting out the fire from inside the block, and helped get those who were trapped in their suites out. Several were brought out using ladder trucks, the city said.

Of the about 40 residents in the building, about 30 said they needed help finding temporary living accommodations. The building suffered smoke, fire and water damage, which stopped residents from returning to their homes. 

A Winnipeg Transit bus provided temporary shelter to the residents, the city said, and the cause of the fire is being investigated.

Amanda Flynn lives about a block-and-a-half away from the apartment that caught fire. She told CBC News she woke up around 3 a.m. to feed her daughter and heard sirens, which persisted for another 90 minutes before she went outside to see what it was.

"I took a step out on my balcony and I saw the lights down on the street from the fire trucks," she said.

"I looked over to the apartment and the flames caught my eye, and I've never seen flames coming out of an apartment like that in real life before. So I ran back inside and grabbed my phone."

Flynn said while she doesn't know anyone at the building very well, her daughter attends daycare nearby, so she sometimes makes small talk with some of the residents.

She called it a "very pleasant" apartment building with many elderly residents.

"It makes me sad. I really hope that whoever got taken to hospital makes it through it since I don't know what caused the fire," Flynn said. "It's just kind of a tragic instance."

Flynn said it feels like a lot has happened in the neighbourhood lately.

She has lived for a year in her current apartment building, which was the site of a hostage situation in late December that resulted in a man being shot by police.

"It's definitely jarring.… Being in such close proximity to a lot of these dangerous events and having a small child, I definitely worry sometimes," she said.

"The neighborhood feels nice and it's just kind of unfortunate that we've had a lot of negative incidents lately."

Vacant home fires on Aberdeen, Burrows

Crews also put out a fire at a vacant home on Aberdeen Avenue, between McGregor and Parr streets, on Saturday evening, the city said.

Fire paramedics responded to the home shortly after 4:30 p.m. They had the fire under control just before 5:30 p.m. No one was injured, the city said.

Another vacant home on Burrows Avenue, between Powers and McGregor streets, caught fire Saturday.

Crews arrived at the two-and-a-half story home at 2:30 p.m. and had it under shortly after 3 p.m.

No injuries were reported.

Both fires are being investigated, the city said.