Winnipeg industrial fire sparking concerns over health impacts
Posted July 5, 2023 5:20 pm.
Last Updated July 5, 2023 6:18 pm.
More information regarding the fire that took down an industrial building in Winnipeg’s Point Douglas area Tuesday is coming to light. What health impacts did it have on not only the residents living in this area but for the firefighters and first responders?
Large plumes of smoke could be seen from across Winnipeg, as crews battled the three-alarm fire in an industrial building Tuesday morning. The fire, spanning an entire city block, burned tires, vehicles, propane tanks and a variety of chemicals releasing toxins into the air.
“There are your regular hazards and then there are some significant changes when you’re dealing with large places like that, especially unknown what’s inside them,” explained Tom Bilous, president of United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg.
Bilous says firefighters have faced an increasing number of large fires over the last few years, exposing them to higher risks of dangerous toxins. Over 100 firefighters responded on Tuesday, which took away from other emergencies across the city.
“We need more firefighters, we need more stations. We had less than we did in ’81 and like members on shift, yet the city has doubled as a population since then,” said Bilous.
Neil Johnston with the Lung Association says the province needs to be proactive in providing clean air shelters and more testing on air quality.
“The effects are cumulative, and they can be synergistic and then you think about folks who have a pre-existing condition, or they are a smoker, or they work in a workplace that has poor air quality, dusty or other things. The ramifications be fairly significant,” said Johnston.
Data from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service shows there were 64 fires in vacant buildings in 2021 and 84 in 2022. This year, the city is on track for more than 90 fires at vacant properties which community advocate Sel Burrows says is a growing issue.
“How do we prevent buildings from catching fire? How do we prevent losing houses and buildings and businesses like this? It’s not an easy answer,” said Burrows.
The cause of the fire is still unknown at this time, but Burrows believes the cause is arson-related. He says fires like these could be prevented if there were better activities and jobs for inner-city people.
“We need to pressure the government to be more attentive to the needs of the people in the inner city so that they can live positive lives rather than getting involved in addictions and crime.”
The industrial building became Vulcan Iron Works in 1884, serving as one of the largest employers in the city. In 1919, the hundreds of people working at this building sparked the Winnipeg General Strike.
Cindy Tugwell, with Heritage Winnipeg says this building is a major loss for the city, and historic buildings need to be protected.
“There’s tried and true things that we can do, I just thing it’s not on the top of the radar. I think the community needs help from other areas in the city. Given they are periphery of the downtown, need we do not forget they exist, and they are what happens in a healthy or unhealthy downtown,” said Tugwell.
No injuries were reported, and the investigation remains ongoing.
