‘I’m surprised the numbers aren’t higher’: Winnipeg sees dramatic increase in fires, stats say

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) says nan metropolis has seen a “marked increase” successful nan number of fires complete nan past fewer years.

According to information released by nan metropolis Tuesday, nan WFPS responded to 3,389 fires past twelvemonth — 33 per cent much than successful 2022, and a whopping 87 per cent summation since 2019.

Firefighters opportunity past year’s summation was owed chiefly to outdoor fires, for illustration those successful trash containers, writer and brush, and “miscellaneous outdoor property.”

The caput of nan city’s firefighters’ union, however, says his acquisition has been that section crews person spent acold much clip dealing pinch building fires, particularly those successful vacant buildings.

“(The summation successful fires) is significant, but I’m not surprised,” United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg (UFFW) president Tom Bilous told 680 CJOB’s Connecting Winnipeg. “In fact, I’m amazed nan numbers aren’t higher.

“What stands retired to maine is nan measurement they person classified these, saying nan summation is owed to outdoor and brushwood fires and truthful on. I really return rumor pinch that. We cognize we person had measurement much vacant building fires than successful nan past and it conscionable seems for illustration our crews are going to building fires time successful and time out.”

Bilous said nan melodramatic summation successful fires has contributed to nan ongoing situation of firefighters being dangerously overworked. Winnipeg, he said, has less firefighters and little instrumentality than it did successful nan early 1980s — contempt having grown considerably successful organization and size complete nan past 4 decades.

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“I tin admit budgets are budgets, but our members proudly reply nan doorbell each clip it goes, and it has only gone 1 guidance — and that’s busier and busier.

“We person done highly much pinch highly less. We person regressed … we cannot overtime ourselves retired of this problem.”

The metropolis said Monday that it’s taking steps to thief ace down connected arson-related fires, pinch initiatives for illustration an accrued fund for backmost lane cleanups — targeting neighbourhoods astatine consequence of arson and cleaning up debris biweekly from April to October and monthly nan remainder of nan year, pinch emergency cleanups performed arsenic needed.

“The information of our residents is our highest priority, and we want to guarantee that neighbourhoods are cleanable and safe for everyone,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said successful a statement.

“With nan number of fires trending upward complete nan past mates of years, we are taking steps to region hazards successful our organization pinch nan dream that we will statesman to spot nan number of fires decline.”

Gillingham said caller changes to nan city’s vacant building bylaw should help, including new, safer standards for boarding up quiet buildings.