Shortly before 9:00pm last night, Brandon Firefighter Paramedics and Brandon Police Service responded to a large apartment building in the 1400 block of Pacific Avenue for a structure fire.
Upon arrival of emergency services, flames could be seen pounding out of the roof and upper floor area of the multi-story apartment building. Police officers went inside the building, banged on doors, and evacuated residents while Brandon Fire was arriving. Fire crews pulled multiple hose-lines from 15 Pump and connected it to a hydrant at Rosser Ave and 15th St. The hydrant was located on the south side of Rosser, which prompted the closure of Rosser in the 1500 block.
As firefighters began fighting the fire from the ground, the fire had already run nearly the entire length of the building in the roof area. Brandon Fire’s Quint ladder truck was set up on the west side of the building and began master stream operations in an attempt to put water on the fire from above, rather than lobbing it from below. A few small explosions could be heard throughout the duration of the firefight.
Office of the Fire Commissioner Ladder 1 responded to provide additional master stream support on the east side of the building. By that time another Brandon pumper had arrived and started spraying water on the east/north side of the building. Nearly every Brandon Fire vehicle was on scene of this fire.
A gas line on the north side of the building appeared to have ruptured and caught fire, which brought Manitoba Hydro with specialized equipment to the scene and added an extra level of complexity to the fire.
Brandon Transit brought in multiple buses to temporarily house evacuees and provide a rest area for first responders. Evacuees were transported to the Victoria Inn to be registered and set up with accommodations if needed. A Red Cross canteen vehicle was also seen arriving on scene later in the night.
Thankfully there have been no injuries reported as of now, however dozens of people have lost their home and their belongings. My heart aches for the people who were affected by this fire.
