Smoke from Steinbach strip mall fire could be spotted from Winnipeg

Steinbach residents were asked to keep their windows closed Sunday after a major fire in a local strip mall spewed toxic smoke.

The fire, whose smoke could be seen in Winnipeg almost 60 kilometres away, started Sunday afternoon and was finally put out Monday afternoon.

Fire departments from neighbouring communities were called in to help battle the blaze, which tore through multiple businesses in the Main Street strip complex.

Best West Pet Foods says it was one of the businesses destroyed in the fire and that some animals died in the blaze.