More than 20 displaced in unusually busy weekend for Winnipeg firefighters

As many as 24 residents have been displaced after crews battled half a dozen Winnipeg fires in what the chief calls a busier than normal weekend.

Two homes, an apartment complex, a fast-food restaurant, fitness centre and a car all went up in flames between Friday night and Monday morning.

None appear to be connected or share a common cause, according to Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Chief John Lane.

“It’s just…a coincidence that a number of them happened together at the same time,” Lane said.

However, the chief said the cold weather made the fires much more challenging to fight.

“There’s actually more oxygen to support combustion,” he explained. “It means fires can catch more easily, they can burn faster and hotter.”

While the total number of fires in February appear to be on par with years past, January fires, however, appear to be on the rise.

In 2017, there were a total of 76 fires in in the first month of the year. That number jumped to 94 the following year. Just last month, firefighters were called to 113 blazes.