‘One fire to the next’: Winnipeggers plead with city as vacant building fires spike

Residents in the North End are once again pleading with the City of Winnipeg, urging officials to take action on problematic vacant buildings.

Many of those buildings continue to become dangerous firetraps, especially in the colder months.

Darrell Warren, president of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association, says every weekend the sounds of sirens ring through his community, as fire crews race to extinguish the most recent blaze.

“If you live next door to one of these particular properties, you sleep with one eye open, always wondering: ‘Are they going to come back and set this ablaze again,’” he said.

Warren says this past weekend alone, there were numerous fires at vacant properties on Burrows Avenue, Aberdeen Avenue and Power Street, adding fire crews have become a regular sight in the neighbourhood.

“These firefighters, I feel sorry for them,” he said. “Because they go from one fire to the next to the next to the next.”

Scott Wilkinson, deputy Chief of fire rescue operations and training with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, explains the number of fires at vacant homes has more than doubled in the past four years – from 82 in 2020 to 182 in 2024.

Wilkinson feels something must be done, and tells CityNews he sees a simple solution to address the growing issue.

“We would like to see any of the vacant buildings in these vulnerable neighbourhoods be turned into affordable housing,” he said. “The occurrence of these fires goes down dramatically if they’re occupied.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Warren, whose neighbourhood association wants to see the properties used correctly, such as being turned into affordable housing. And they want it done soon, especially as dipping temperatures force people who are unhoused to find shelter.

“You’ve boarded up houses that can be put back into the housing stock,” Warren said. “Whether it be a rental or sold to somebody, we could be having families (there).”

WATCH: Vacant building fires run rampant in Winnipeg

Sixty-three problem properties were demolished in Winnipeg in 2024.

While reporting to Winnipeg’s Committee Meeting on Property and Development this week, the City of Winnipeg’s deputy chief administrative officer Moira Greer said progress is being made on the vacant properties.

Warren, however, says while he’s thankful for the steps taken by the city, he feels it’s time for the province to step in and lend a hand to the city and the neighbours dealing with the troubled residences.

“Maybe the province could create a fund through the city to go ahead and address the boarded-up properties that can be saved and turned back into houses that could be useful again,” Warren said.

The WFPS says any suspicious or unwanted behaviour at vacant properties should be reported both to police and fire officials.