WINNIPEG — It was a blaze you could see across Waverly West and neighbours are still feeling the effects of Monday’s house fire.
“I’m still shocked, I couldn’t fall asleep last night,” one neighbour told Global News.
Fire officials say the Rose Garden Crescent home is a write off. Crews battled the blaze for hours in freezing cold temperatures Monday evening. Neighbouring homes were evacuated and appear to have some minor damage.
WATCH: Firefighters battle massive house fire on Rose Garden Crescent
READ MORE: Winnipeg fire crews battle serious blaze in freezing weather
The home was built after the Manitoba Building Code required new homes to have a fire rated separation wall between the garage and home. This likely helped the family buy time, they managed to escape with no injuries. Witnesses reported hearing an explosion which Winnipeg Fire Chief John Lane said is not unusual.
“Anything enclosed like even a can of paint can heat up and pop and that will sound like an explosion,” Lane said.
Lane confirms the blaze started in the garage. He can’t say whether it had anything to do with a block heater. However, he is still reminding Manitobans of the safety precautions when it comes to plugging in your vehicle. Lane says to never plug in, in the garage.
“It’s also important to have a proper size extension cord, as short a cord as possible, not coiling it up and keeping that connection clean, those are all really good tips to prevent any chance of a fire starting,” Lane said.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
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