Fire in east Winnipeg exposed area that is 'ticking time bomb': city councillor

CBC

13-05-2025

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An area of east Winnipeg that was swept up in a grassfire on Monday is a ticking time bomb, according to Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona).
Dozens of vehicles in an auto storage yard off Gunn Road, which divides Winnipeg and the rural municipality of Springfield, were destroyed by flames fuelled by high winds and dry conditions.
The fire, which started around 2 p.m., was contained around 5 p.m. but not before propane tanks in the Oluspe Autos and Parts yard exploded, nearby hydro transformers melted, and other businesses were damaged and evacuated.
The path of the blaze was marked Tuesday morning by blackened fields and a post-apocalyptic-looking mass of burned-out cars.
Wyatt did not yet have complete information on the losses but said it was fortunate no one was hurt.
The area has several industries and manufacturing plants, some using highly flammable materials, that might not be adequately protected.
"We have a lot of, I guess you would almost call them ticking time bombs," he told CBC Manitoba Information Radio host Marcy Markusa.
"[In] the RM of Springfield … they do not have fire hydrants, they do not have a full-time paid fire services, it's volunteer."
Directly across Gunn from the auto yard — within the boundary of the RM — is a plant that produces a variety of chemicals and fertilizers.
"It was crucial that the fire be knocked down ASAP, and it was," Wyatt said. "It was quite a day."
He did not yet have complete information on the losses. The owner of Oluspe Autos and Parts did not want to comment.
Brian Seaton, fire chief in the RM of Springfield, took exception with Wyatt's suggestion that the municipality might not have proper protection for the industrial park.
He wanted it made clear the Springfield fire department was called to assist city crews, and water supplies that had been strategically set up by Seaton were used to fight the fire.
When he became chief three years ago, Seaton said, he approached several businesses and established water supplies at the businesses "because I know that's our biggest problem."
"I won't give you companies names, but [there are] … a lot of companies within the industrial area that can supply me water."
The city's closest hydrants are on Redonda and Day streets, which bookend the block of Gunn that was burning. Those were too far away to hook up to, Seaton said.
Thanks to the his prior arrangements "we had more water than we can actually shake a stick at," he said.
The closest source of water couldn't be accessed because of the thick toxic smoke blanketing the business where it was located, so crews used the next nearest one, Seaton said.
"That's why I always have a backup to a backup plan. That's how we … controlled that situation."
The department recently added a new tanker for one its three fire stations "so that adds even more water supply," Seaton noted.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but Wyatt says much of the area is threaded by rail tracks and it's not uncommon for passing train wheels to send sparks into nearby dry grasses.
"In the past we've had issues. About 15 years ago we had a massive fire in the RM of Springfield that affected a plastics plant that was caused by sparks from a train," Wyatt said.
Fire near Balaban Place
Around 4:30 p.m. Monday a fire also erupted near Balaban Place, a residential area also in Wyatt's ward. Those flames spread across several acres and threatened homes before firefighters brought them under control.
The cause of that is also under investigation but "there is a very active rail line behind Balaban Place," Wyatt noted.
As for the Gunn Road area, the fact it is overseen by two municipal governments is an issue within itself when it comes to regulating development, Wyatt said.
He's hoping Monday's incident can lead to improvements in the area, or at least some conversations about it.