Winnipeg fire crews were kept busy Tuesday morning battling three separate fires just minutes apart. 

The first fire broke out at 12:12 a.m. in a vacant two-and-a-half-storey house in the 500 block of William Avenue. 

Flames and heavy smoke were seen pouring from the home when crews arrived. Due to heavy fire conditions, crews were forced to fight the fire from the exterior. 

No one was injured. This is the fourth time this house has sustained damage from a fire. 

The second fire broke out about 15 minutes later, around 12:30 a.m., in a single-storey, multi-family residence in the 600 block of St. Mary's Road.

Crews found heavy smoke coming from the home when they arrived. The two occupants of the house were able to self-evacuate before firefighters arrived at the scene. One was assessed and treated at the scene. A second person was transported to hospital in critical condition.

At 12:51 a.m., the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service was called to an industrial building in the St. Boniface Industrial Park.

Firefighters found heavy smoke coming from a large pile of rubber and an adjacent structure on Messier Street. 

Crews fought the fire from outside the building. Heavy machinery was used to move the piles of material so hotspots could be accessed. The fire was declared under control at 3:41 a.m.

A nearby rail line was temporarily shut down as a precaution. It has since reopened.

Occupants of the building safely evacuated. No injuries were reported.

The cause of all three fires remains under investigation.