Manitoba RCMP say they’re looking into a suspicious fire in the community of Moose Lake, about 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.
Police were called to a house fire in Moose Lake around 7:40 a.m. New Year’s Day. They said the blaze, occurring on Sinclair Street, is suspect to have been caused by arson but that the cause has yet to be determined.
In a press release on Wednesday, police said the fire destroyed five trailers and damaged a sixth. Nearby residences were evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
An investigation is ongoing.Moose Lake mayor Fergus Campbell said he received the call about the fire at 8 a.m. that day. The families affected, he said, have nowhere to go.
“They’re staying in The Pas (in) hotels,” said Campbell. “On our end, we don’t have funding for them, because we’re on co-management.”
The mayor added that the community has been dealing with a number of housing issues, and with no additional place to assist the families affected by the fire, they’ve been forced to stay in The Pas instead.
Families, he said, are trying to salvage what they can of their possessions from the aftermath of the fire – including their wedding rings.
“This one is really, really devastating. We’re just happy that we didn’t lose anybody,” said Campbell.