Stretch of Main Street shut down as firefighters battle blaze at boarded-up hotel
Main from Higgins to Jarvis avenues could be closed until Thursday after fire at Sutherland Hotel
Smoke filled the skies over Winnipeg's Point Douglas area Wednesday afternoon as crews battled a blaze at a boarded-up Main Street hotel.
Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews were called just before 1:30 p.m. to the fire at the former Sutherland Hotel, at 785 Main.
When firefighters arrived, flames had already engulfed the building's third floor, compromising its stability, Platoon Chief Stephen Kumka told reporters at a news conference.
As flames spread through the building and moved to a single-storey building attached to the back of the hotel, it became a two-alarm fire, Kumka said — meaning more emergency crews were called in to help.
"The fire is getting bigger in the back, and it can move around," Kumka told reporters shortly after 3 p.m. "[It's] brick construction, has void spaces, [so] the fire can move up and move around."
The intensity of the fire made it impossible for crews to enter the building to fight the blaze or search inside the property when they first arrived.
Firefighters used aerial ladders to battle the blaze, and deployed a drone for situational awareness, the city said in a news release.
Neighbouring buildings were temporarily evacuated for precautionary reasons, and a city bus provided temporary shelter for evacuated residents.
The emergency social services team also responded to provide support and assistance to those who were displaced, the city said.
No injuries were reported, but the building is expected to be a total loss. Kumka said it's not clear if the building will have to be demolished.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
A city spokesperson said Main Street remained closed on Wednesday between Higgins and Jarvis avenues. Kumka said with crews expected to work through the night, the closure was likely to continue until Thursday.
"It's gonna be a long day," he said.
Residents are advised to used caution in the area once it reopens to traffic due to slippery conditions.
Vacant building fires
The hotel was boarded up at the time of the fire and has been vacant for months, according to Brad Gross, a listing agent for the building, which was put on the market in the fall.
The hotel closed down early last summer, and all utility services, including electricity and heating, were cut off, he said.
A deal for the sale of the building was finalized in January, Gross said, but the owner wasn't expected to take possession until June.
"It's not going to have the value that we wrote it up for" now, he said, but the impact of the fire goes beyond the damage to the building.
"It affects everybody. Think of the neighbours. Think of the firefighters risking their lives — for what, you know? There's nobody in the building," he said. "It's a shame.… It's not good for the city."
The number of fires in vacant buildings in Winnipeg has become a growing problem.
In 2023, the city had what was then a record 156 fires at vacant properties — a 38 per cent increase from the previous year, according to city data released last year.
Data for 2024 sent to CBC by the city earlier this month showed there had already been 182 fires in vacant buildings as of the end of September last year.
Prior to the Sutherland fire, there had been at least six fires at vacant buildings in Winnipeg so far this year.
A few blocks away from the hotel, the vacant Holy Ascension Greek Orthodox Church on Euclid Avenue caught fire last week — the fourth time the building has been hit by a fire since October 2021.
And a vacant Mountain Avenue apartment block was set to be demolished after a Jan. 4 fire — the third it had seen since 2023.
"It's an ongoing issue" that's keeping firefighters busy, Kumka said Wednesday.
"I hope with our partnership, our community groups and city officials and organizations, we can limit what's happening, maybe decrease the numbers," he said, adding property owners also have a responsibility in keeping their buildings safe.
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With files from Gavin Axelrod