WINNIPEG – Fire crews doused flames Tuesday at a home where what was described as an explosion blew out an exterior wall.
The explosion at the Apple Lane West Condominiums, at Apple Lane and Cub Road in Assiniboia, near Saskatchewan Avenue, happened at about 6 p.m.
“I was actually in my house watching TV earlier and I heard an explosion,” a neighbour said. “So we came out and the whole side of the wall house had been blown off and the gentleman living in the house at that point was on the ground. He seemed in pretty rough shape.”
The resident of the condo, who neighbours say was working in his basement when the blast happened, was taken to hospital with second- and third-degree burns, firefighters at the scene said.
The building suffered $450,000 damage, fire officials said Wednesday morning.
The blaze was a challenge for emergency crews.
“We’re dealing with common floor joints, so the crews are having difficulty accessing the basement because of the instability of the structure itself,” said Deputy Chief George Seewald.
A picture posted to Twitter showed two rooms on the ground floor of the home completely exposed, with debris scattered in front and the remains of a brick facade hanging from one side.
Twitter users described the scene as fire crews rescued house pets and put out flames.
Firefighters expressed concern that parts of the home could collapse.
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