The City says an accidental fire in the City Centre neighbourhood is believed to have started due to unattended cooking.

On Tuesday afternoon in the 600 block of Portage Avenue, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service was alerted to a fire alarm going off in a three-storey commercial building.

At 1:32 p.m., crews arrived at the building, discovering that the building's sprinkler system had sprung into action, extinguishing many parts of the fire. Fire crews then began to focus on the building's hot spots, ventilating and extinguishing them.

While at the scene, one person was assessed by paramedics and sent to the hospital in stable condition. 

the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service says the fire was accidental and was caused by cooking being left unattended. 

To prevent kitchen fires, the City is asking residents to:

  • 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.