Winnipeg firefighters respond to fire on Selkirk Ave

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to a fire on Selkirk Avenue Saturday night.

Firefighters responded to a report of a fire just after 10 p.m. Saturday, in a two-and-half storey residential building on the 300 block of Selkirk Avenue.

When crews arrived, they found smoke coming from the building. They were able to bring the fire under control about half an hour later.

All occupants of the house safely self-evacuated prior to the arrival of crews. The City’s emergency social services team helped residents displaced by the fire.

No injuries were reported. Damage estimates were not yet available.

WFPS said that according their preliminary findings the fire was accidental and likely caused by smoking.

Authorities urge residents to exercise caution when smoking indoors and share the following tips:

• Always put smoking materials out in a proper ashtray or a deep metal container. Place the container on a stable surface, away from anything that can burn.
• Never smoke in bed or on surfaces that can easily catch fire, such as upholstered furniture.
• Stay fully alert while smoking. Do not smoke if you feel sleepy or after taking medications or substances that can make you drowsy.
• Make sure ashes and cigarette butts are completely out before throwing them away. The safest way is to soak them in water or sand.
• Keep cigarettes, lighters, matches, and other smoking materials out of children’s reach or locked away.
• Never throw cigarette butts from balconies, decks, or car windows. Do not dispose of them near grass, leaves, brush, or other vegetation.
• Never use a plant pot as an ashtray. Potting soil contains combustible materials such as peat moss and shredded wood. A cigarette butt can smolder for hours and heat the container until it cracks, allowing oxygen in and potentially spreading fire to nearby materials like decks, balconies, or walls.