City officials, Winnipeg firefighters union concerned about record number of vacant buildings the fires continued until 2025.
“We’re not even two weeks away from 2025 and we’re averaging two structure fires a day here in Winnipeg,” Nick Kasper, president of the United Fire Brigade of Winnipeg, told Global News on Saturday.
“In the last 36 hours alone, three vacant buildings have caught fire.”
During one of these fires, a firefighter was injured after falling through a floor.
“We can’t be sure when crews arrive on scene that the structure is unoccupied, so our crews enter more often than not,” Kasper said, adding that every entry into a burning building carries obvious safety risks.
On top of that, crews face frustration and exhaustion, often battling repeated fires in the same abandoned buildings.
“It impacts physical and mental health,” says Kasper. “This is taking a toll on our people.”
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The price to pay is also felt by taxpayers.
“The cost is a little difficult to calculate, but the problem is that when multiple crews are engaged in one of these fires, we have gaps in our response and it takes us longer to get to the next incident. Unfortunately,” said Deputy Fire Chief Scott Wilkinson.
Unfortunately, there is no simple solution.
“The question is very complex. This ranges from housing to mental health, substance abuse, vulnerable people and the economy,” Wilkinson said. “This is a multi-faceted problem that unfortunately will not be solved by a single ministry or group.”
Although the City attempted to recover more than $1 million in firefighting costs from owners of abandoned properties, less than $80,000 was paid.
“What we have found, unfortunately, is that it has almost deterred people from developing their property who now have a bill of $20,000, $30,000 or $40,000, making it even more difficult for them to develop their property,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. .
With some 700 vacant buildings in Winnipeg, the mayor said he sees an opportunity.
“We want to turn vacant properties into places where people can live,” Gillingham says. “These properties represent housing potential at a time when we need housing in the City of Winnipeg. »
However, it’s not something city departments can do alone, he added. Gillingham said bringing together nonprofits and private citizens to develop a plan is a priority for 2025.
Winnipeg set a record in 2023 with more than 150 vacant building fires and broke it again by ending 2024 with nearly 200.
The firefighters’ union estimates that fires started accidentally or intentionally in abandoned buildings have increased 20-fold in a decade.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.