Arson charges laid in weekend fire that destroyed Main Street building in Winnipeg

A man injured in a fire that destroyed a building on Main Street over the weekend has since been charged with starting the fire, police say.

Emergency crews were called to the blaze at the two-storey commercial and residential building in the 800 block of Main Street, around 7:20 a.m. Saturday.

Firefighters were confronted with heavy smoke and flames coming from the building. Main Street was shut in both directions while crews battled the fire.

Everyone in the building had self-evacuated and one person was taken to the hospital in an unstable condition where he was later upgraded to a stable condition.

0:27 Elderly residents react to early morning evacuation from Winnipeg apartment building

On Monday police said that person — now identified as a man in his 30s who had been found nearby by officers — is facing charges.

The unidentified man has been charged with arson with disregard for human life and arson causing damage to property. The man remains in police custody.

An estimate of the damages caused by the fire hasn’t been made public, but the city has said the building will be a complete loss.

The fire was the second in the area within the last month.

A fire early Feb. 11 that started at 843 Main St. destroyed three businesses and forced several nearby residents to evacuate.

There’s been no word on what caused the earlier fire.