The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service says things could have been much worse Sunday afternoon after a fire started in a 17-storey high-rise building.

Emergency crews responded to a call at 555 St. Mary Avenue on Sunday around 12:22 p.m. The WFPS called in a second alarm to increase the number of personnel and equipment responding "due to the potential for high life hazards when dealing with a high-rise structure," the WFPS says in a release.

When firefighters arrived they found smoke coming from the ninth floor. They say the found a small fire already extinguished, and crews worked to extinguish hotspots.

The WFPS says that no occupants had to be evacuated as a result of the fire, and nobody was displaced from their apartments. There were also no injuries reported.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental due to unattended cooking, according to the WFPS.

The WFPS is again reminding people to practice safety when cooking by using the following strategies:

  • Always stay in the kitchen while cooking. Stove burners should always be turned off when leaving the kitchen, even for a short time. 
  • Anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — should always be kept away from the stovetop.
  • Oil should always be heated slowly. If cooking oil catches fire, and the fire is small and manageable, use a kitchen fire extinguisher or cover the pot with a metal lid. Never use water to put out an oil fire.