Number of Winnipeg vacant building fires in 2025 'frustrating,' but not shocking: Firefighters union head

There have been at least six fires at vacant buildings in Winnipeg so far in the new year, all of which were properties that have previously burned before. 

Some of those calls resulted in the buildings needing emergency demolition and in one incident, a firefighter was sent to hospital after responding to a blaze at a vacant building. 

"It's frustrating, frankly it doesn't come as a surprise," said United Firefighters of Winnipeg president Nick Kasper.

"In 2024 we faced an average of 20 vacant building fires per month, that's an increase of 20 times over the last decade and the trend is obviously continuing to increase into 2025.

"It is frustrating, but it's not a shock to us," he said. 

On Sunday, Elsa Doucette stood outside her Aikins Street home remarking that it's been more quiet ever since the vacant, three-storey apartment building across the street on Mountain Avenue was demolished following a fire during the first week of January. 

"Every day there was sirens," said Doucette. "Every, every day. Fire trucks every second day, ambulances, it didn't stop."

The blaze at the building on Jan. 3 was at least the fourth there since 2022.

Doucette said she's glad nobody got hurt in the fire, but is glad to see the building gone.

"It's been an eyesore for an ongoing amount of time," she said. "A hazard, if you would say." 

Neighbours 'on guard' for another blaze

Those thoughts were echoed by Daniel Asrat, the vice-chair of the parish council for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which is right beside where the Mountain Avenue apartment complex recently stood.

Asrat said the fires there made people "on guard" and not knowing when the building would go up in flames next was stressful. 

"You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow [or if] you have a church or not," he said. "You don't know what's going to happen so that was the hardest … thing for us." 

The former Mountain Avenue apartment complex is among several vacant buildings that have gone up in flames again this year.

On Jan. 2, a two-storey property on Pritchard Avenue needed emergency demolition after catching fire that morning. The building was previously damaged in a fire there in August 2023, the City of Winnipeg said in a news release.

This past week, a vacant Winnipeg church was hit with its fourth fire since October 2021. 

Days later, a vacant house on Burrows Avenue caught on fire again after previously being damaged in a May 2024 blaze, the City of Winnipeg said in a new release Jan 10. 

And on Saturday, crews battled an early morning fire at a vacant and boarded up house on Powers Street. The City of Winnipeg said in a news release Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews had responded to that same location in March 2023. 

Hours later, crews were called nearby to Aberdeen Avenue to battle a blaze at a vacant boarded-up house, where there was also a fire in November, the city said in a new release. 

A firefighter was also injured during the call, but was taken to hospital in stable condition, the release said. 

Kasper said the firefighter fell through the main floor of the house while doing a search.

"We're pretty happy to hear that he's in stable condition and there's no serious injuries," said Kasper. 

Number of vacant building fires increased in 2024

There were 182 fires in vacant buildings between January and September of 2024, which is more than any other year since 2018. 

In a statement Sunday, deputy fire chief Scott Wilkinson said while the final numbers haven't been released, "we would have set a a record for vacant building fires in 2024."

"And the way things have started in 2025, that doesn't appear to be diminishing at this point so far," he said in the statement. 

Under the vacant building bylaw, property owners are responsible for securing the building and paying a yearly fee, but recouping the fees for fire responses from owners of vacant buildings has proved challenging for the City of Winnipeg. 

Back in the fall, a city report said billing owners of vacant Winnipeg buildings for fire responses may have backfired.

Additionally, in December, the city launched a new team tasked with responding to complaints about vacant and derelict buildings with a goal of addressing safety concerns within two days.

Meanwhile, Asrat said he hopes some of the vacant buildings in the city can be turned into affordable housing.

Doucette also said owners of vacant or derelict properties have a role to play. 

"Sell them or tear them down," she said.