Fire incinerates whole building in west end

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This article was published 17/02/2022 (1425 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A large fire tore through an under-construction apartment building in Brandon’s west end Thursday morning, leaving only smouldering remains by the afternoon.

Firefighters were called to 4110 Victoria Ave. at approximately 8:15 a.m. for a report of the fire, said Brandon Fire and Emergency Services deputy chief Terry Parlow.

By the time they arrived at the scene, the structure was “fully engulfed” on the fourth floor, he said. No one was in the building at the time.

“Fire crews were able to quickly attack the fire … they were able to get water on the fire and protect any outlying structures,” he said.

There was no damage to any surrounding buildings and they were not evacuated.

The fire was under control within an hour, he said. Nobody was injured. Parlow partially credited the weather as there was little wind when the fire started.

The fire was extinguished in the morning and by approximately 2 p.m., several firefighters were spraying water on the remains of the building. The four-storey building was completely destroyed, leaving only steaming and charred remnants.

A thick layer of ice could be seen over the doused areas.

The building was under construction by Keller Developments. The Sun contacted the company for comment but was told no one from the company would be giving interviews on Thursday.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the company said it is “devastated” by the loss of one of its largest projects.

Employees and sub-contractors were on site at the time of the fire and they have all been confirmed safely evacuated, according to the statement.

“We currently do not know what the cause of the fire was. Employees that were on site are working with Brandon Fire Department and relevant authorities in a full investigation to determine the cause,” the statement reads.

“We want to thank the Brandon Fire Department and all Emergency Workers for containing the blaze and preventing any further property damage. We are so thankful that nobody was injured or lost in this tragedy.”

Keller Developments is still evaluating losses from the fire and will reach out to prospective tenants with more information as soon as possible, according to the statement.

A rendering of what the building would have looked like when complete shows it was going to be called “The Westgate.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Parlow said, and is set to resume today. The structure was still under construction at the time and was mostly wood, which burned quickly.

“When it’s under construction like that, there are no fire stops in there, such as a lot of drywall and there’s not a lot of stuff that is fire retardant,” he said. At some point during the fire, the structure collapsed.

The Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner is not investigating the fire, a provincial spokesperson said in an email.

Rod Penner, the sales manager at Greenstone Building Products, said his company’s ICE panels were used in the construction. Thursday marked the first time the framing and insulation panels had gone through such a significant fire.

Penner said he believes the panels, which have a fire retardant in them, could have helped contain the blaze.

Firefighters were still at the scene of the fire Thursday afternoon, and Parlow said they expected to be there to eliminate hot spots and reduce the amount of smoke blowing into surrounding residential areas.

More photos can be seen here.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @DrewMay_